


Off Limits

by the_albatross, veronicasanders



Series: Just Friends [2]
Category: RuPaul's Drag Race (US) RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fantasizing, Femslash, Flirting, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Roommates, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:35:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 36,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27201197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_albatross/pseuds/the_albatross, https://archiveofourown.org/users/veronicasanders/pseuds/veronicasanders
Summary: When Bianca meets her new roommates, she’s especially captivated by one of them. Worse, the feeling seems to be mutual.
Relationships: Adore Delano | Danny Noriega/Courtney Act | Shane Jenek, Bianca Del Rio/Shane Jenek | Courtney Act, Willam Belli/Alaska Thunderfuck 5000
Series: Just Friends [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1978078
Comments: 34
Kudos: 20





	1. Arrival Day

**Author's Note:**

> This is the companion story to “No Strings Attached.” Both ships are in both stories, but generally, “No Strings Attached” is Willaska-focused and this one is Bitney-focused.  
> 

Bianca hated being fucking late. It was bad enough that she’d had to drive all the way from New Orleans to California, praying that her 7-year-old Kia wouldn’t break down. But for the last leg of her trip, which should have been 45 minutes, she got caught in an accident on the freeway that turned what should have been a short, pleasant zip up the freeway into a torturous 4-hour crawl.

By the time she reached the dorms, she was fuming--not to mention exhausted. And having to lug her shit from possibly the worst parking spot in the garage did nothing to improve her shitty mood. By the time she’d achieved some semblance of order in her room, she was hot and thirsty and as cranky as she’d ever been. 

She chugged about a gallon of water and then collapsed on the sofa, arm over her eyes, trying to summon the energy to think about a shower.

It was then when the front door swung open and a trio of laughing, chattering girls poured inside. 

Bianca looked up. At first glance, all she saw was Blonde, Blonde, Blonde. A bunch of perfect, plastic sorority girls, exactly the type of girl she couldn’t stand. (And, if she was honest, exactly the type of girl that she always feared a little bit.) She groaned inwardly, sitting up and giving them a withering glare. 

Unable to help herself, she announced, “Great...I’m living with a bunch of bottle blonde bitches.” As the words left her mouth, she realized that she was perhaps not making the best first impression. But instead of taking it back, she doubled down with, “So whose hideous leopard duvet is that?” 

The Littlest Blonde burst into delighted giggles, before glancing at the (Bianca assumed) Duvet-Owning Blonde beside her and pressing her lips together contritely. 

Slutty Blonde slung an arm around Duvet Blonde and said, “Calm down, bitch. Some of us are garbage pails with hideous taste. We’re still people.” 

Bianca pursed her lips, determined to continue hating them all.

With that, Little Blonde skipped forward, flinging herself onto the sofa and offering a bright smile. 

“Hi, I’m Courtney. You must be our fourth roommate,” she said. 

She had an accent--a _cute_ accent. Shit. _Do not let the accent fool you. This Barbie doll bitch isn’t your friend._

“Wow...what gave that away, detective?” Bianca asked, narrowing her eyes slightly. 

“Well…” she leaned in conspiratorially, speaking in a low voice. “It would be a little weird for you to be here, if you weren’t. So...” She finished with a flutter of lashes and another dazzling smile, green eyes dancing with amusement. 

_Well, fuck._ Bianca was not planning to be this charmed, this quickly. The plan was to be grumpy and sulk for awhile. Foiled by a pretty face...not the first time, but still annoying. 

“Genius.” Bianca tried to suppress her smile, but dimples poked through anyway. 

“I _knooow_ , right?” 

_Australian._ Bianca winced. Surely this was some kind of karmic justice for a terrible deed she’d done as a child. After all, there was no way in hell that Bianca would get involved with one of her roommates. She was many things, but she was not that messy. 

“So, are you gonna tell us your name?” Courtney asked. 

“Yeah, sorry. Bianca. Hi.” 

“Hi, Bianca, nice to meet you.”

God, even the way she said her name was sexy. Bee-aaaahn-cah. _Ugh._ Bianca was well and truly fucked. 

“Hey, I’m Willam,” Slutty Blonde said, perching on the arm of the sofa. “And that’s Alaska...your roommate. You should be nicer to her; she’s cool.” 

Duvet Blonde gave a halfhearted wave. 

“Hi, Alaska,” Bianca said, slightly chagrined, “I’m sorry...about your lack of taste. We’ll work on it.” 

Courtney giggled again, tossing her hair, still watching Bianca closely. And as much as she wanted to look away, to dismiss her as some airhead, she had to admit that something in her eyes was captivating. 

“So, Bianca...where are you from?” Courtney asked.

“New Orleans,” Bianca told her. 

“Oooh, have you ever been to Mardi Gras?!” she asked, eyes lighting up. 

“Uhh. Yeah.”

“Did you bring us any beads?” 

“Why not get out your tits and see, Court?” Willam suggested. 

Courtney started to lift the edge of her shirt, and Bianca’s eyes went wide--this girl was turning out to be a lot more than she’d bargained for. Courtney glanced at her surprised face and burst out laughing again. 

“Just kidding.” 

“Good one,” Bianca offered, a little ashamed at the flash of disappointment she felt. Of course she was kidding; Bianca needed a cold shower. 

“So, are you a new student here?” Courtney asked.

“Yeah.” Bianca cleared her throat. “I transferred from LSU.” 

“Where’s that?” 

“Louisiana...State...University,” Bianca explained slowly, as if she was talking to a child. Her tone was intentionally condescending, but Courtney continued her rapid-fire questions undeterred. 

“Ah! Brilliant. And have you-”

“You ask a lot of questions,” Bianca said. She’d never experienced that many questions in a row, and considering her gigantic nosy-ass family, that was saying a lot. If she wasn’t so cute, Bianca would be thoroughly irritated. 

“Sure does,” Willam added with an eye roll. 

“Oh yeah. I know. Is it annoying you?” Courtney bit her lip, head tilted cutely.

“That’s another question,” Bianca declared stonily, pretending once again not to be charmed. And doing a piss-poor job of it, if the glimmer in Courtney’s eyes was any indication. 

“Hmm, I guess it is,” Courtney said, tone lilting and gently mocking. “Sorry, I’m just trying to get to know you.” 

“Maybe I should ask _you_ some questions.” 

“Maybe you should!” Courtney replied brightly. She stretched her legs--long, tan, killer legs--placing them on the coffee table and folding them delicately at the ankles. “What would you like to know?”

_Do you moan in an Australian accent?_

Bianca coughed, mind blanking for a moment, before admitting with a shrug, “I guess...I’m not very curious.”

“Pity. ‘Cause I’m an open book.” 

“Uh. Good to know.” After a beat, Bianca offered, “So. I had kind of a shitty morning.”

“Oh, I’m sorry!” Courtney sat up straighter, the teasing smirk replaced with an expression of genuine concern. “Are you okay?” 

“It’s fine, I just...I was actually about to jump in the shower. I’ll probably be in a better mood after that.” 

“Well, that’s a relief,” said Willam, and Alaska let out a clipped laugh. 

“I deserved that,” Bianca said with a nod and wry smile. “So I guess I’ll go...do that.”

With one last glance at the group, Bianca got up and walked towards her bedroom to get her things. 

“What a cunt,” Willam said loudly--loud enough that Bianca knew it was for her benefit. She chuckled to herself. 

“Bill!” Courtney scolded, then added, “I like her.” 

“Clearly. Why don’t you go make my bed?”

“Make your own bed, dickhead!” Courtney shrieked.

The shower was much needed. Bianca could feel the stress of the day literally rinsing away, muscles relaxing in the steamy water. When she re-entered her bedroom, Alaska was lounging on the bed, flipping through a magazine. She sat down at her desk, pulling over a light-up mirror. 

She took her time blow-drying her hair. Even put on some makeup. No reason not to look nice for a relaxing afternoon of getting to know her roommates, right? She pulled on a casual summer dress and sandals and then began to put everything away in its spot...blow dryer in the stackable basket with her curling iron, makeup in the case, brushes in the cup. 

She turned around to Alaska, who gave her a smile. 

“I like your bins,” Alaska commented, gesturing to Bianca’s compulsively organized and labeled plastic bins, lined up under her bed and stacked on the dresser. 

“Thanks. And I like your...uh…” Bianca surveyed the mess on Alaska’s side of the room before settling on the word, “...piles.”

Alaska let out a loud cackle. The most Bianca had seen her laugh yet. She grinned wryly. 

“I’m a little bit messy, sorry,” Alaska said. 

“It’s cool,” Bianca shrugged. “To each their own.” 

“I’ll keep it contained, I swear. And on my side of the room.” 

“You fucking better!” Bianca exclaimed, and was rewarded with another laugh from her roommate. 

***

Courtney didn’t like to admit it, but she’d had a bit of a lonely summer. She’d decided with her parents that, since she wanted to come home for Christmas again this year, it made more sense for her to stay at school, taking a few classes and working at an internship. 

It usually wasn’t hard for Courtney to make friends, but somehow, she hadn’t connected with anyone. Her classmates seemed lovely, and her coworkers were nice enough too, but she missed the late-night gossiping with Willam, the chance to let loose and be silly. The girls she attempted to hang out with over the summer just weren’t the kind of unpredictable fun that Willam was. And her summer roommate was a reclusive Belgian girl who spent all of her time buried in her laptop wearing headphones. 

But today, she was thrilled. Willam was finally back, and even better, she had two new fantastically wonderful roommates. 

Alaska was great. A little reserved, maybe, but that was alright with Courtney. She had a great sense of humor and a genuinely kind soul that Courtney adored right away. Plus, she seemed to get along really well with Willam, which was a relief. (Courtney loved her BFF, but she knew that getting her seal of approval could be difficult.) 

And then there was Bianca. Blunt and a bit abrasive, but Courtney found herself thoroughly enchanted almost immediately, reveling in her sharp wit and acid tongue. Her dark, flashing eyes. She was unlike anyone Courtney had ever met before, truth be told. 

As Courtney helped Willam stuff her clothes into the closet and dresser and arrange her shoes and bags under the bed, she sighed happily, grateful to be surrounded by people with whom she could really let down her hair. 

It took ages before Willam was satisfied. Well, not so much satisfied as much as resigned to accept the confines of their limited space. She turned to Courtney with a sigh, saying, “Well, it is what it is, I guess.” 

Courtney laughed and suggested that they check on the others, skipping happily over to Bianca and Alaska’s open door. She pushed it in further, asking, “How are you ladies doing? Bonding?” 

“Oh yeah,” Bianca said, turning around in her desk chair, large curling iron in hand. “Our periods are already in sync.” 

Alaska laughed, and Courtney was glad to see that some of her earlier tension had melted away. 

“How disgustingly primal,” Willam said, collapsing on the bed next to Alaska, who moved over to give her space. 

Courtney settled on the floor nearby. She watched as Bianca carefully styled her hair, admiring the color—a rich, reddish mahogany brown—and wondering how she got it so shiny. 

“Is your room bigger than ours?” Willa asked, pulling Courtney out of her thoughts as she looked around suspiciously. 

“I don’t know. Is it?” Bianca asked. 

“Bill’s pretty pissed about the closet space,” Courtney explained. “I gave her one of my drawers, but…” She shrugged, pulling affectionately on one of Willam’s bare feet, “Some people are just never satisfied.” 

“I have an extra drawer, too,” Alaska offered, and Bianca’s eyebrows shot up. 

“You sure you don’t want to use that for some of the stuff that’s…” she gestured to the top of Alaska’s dresser. 

Looking at their spaces, Courtney could see a clear clash of styles. Bianca’s things were almost obsessively organized, lined up in containers with p-touch labels. Alaska’s side of the room was more haphazard, similar to Courtney’s space. 

“Nah, she can have it,” Alaska said with a sweet smile, and Bianca responded by sticking out her tongue briefly. 

Courtney giggled, seeing them tease each other, happy that they already seemed to be friends. She relaxed against Alaska’s desk chair, finally content to just let the conversation drift as it were, taking a break from her usual Oprah mode. 

“So...not to be a wet blanket on all this delightful female bonding, but...where can a bitch find some decent vegetarian food around here?” Bianca asked, putting away her hairstyling tools and turning around.

“You’re hungry?” Courtney looked up at her. 

“No, just thought I’d buy some food and throw it at seagulls. Yes, I’m fucking hungry.”

Through Courtney’s immediate laughter, Willam muttered, “Decent shit is mostly downtown...but edible? There’s the cafeteria next door, the salad bar over by the biology building, food court in the quad, the-”

“No, Bill,” Courtney giggled out with a weak swat at Willam’s leg. “Let’s get something different. Something better.” She decided not to add ‘for Bianca.’

Willam rolled her eyes and huffed out, “Fine then, cunt. Where do _you_ suggest we eat?”

There was a moment’s pause as Courtney pondered over the question before thoughtfully looking up at Bianca, asking, “Do you like burritos?” 

“Wow. That’s racist.”

“No, it’s not because you’re--I didn’t mean--it’s just that they’re really good and you said-” Courtney tripped all over herself to explain, flustered, cheeks growing hot. _Shit,_ she hoped she hadn’t been offensive. 

After a beat, Bianca burst out laughing. 

“I was kidding, calm down. Burritos sound good.”

“Courtney, are you talking about that hole in the wall on Fair Oaks? We’ll have to take a car.”

“It’s _good_ , and they have tons of veggie options, and you love driving,” Courtney insisted. “Plus, everything on campus will be chockers right now.” 

“‘Chockers’?!” Willam repeated. “That’s so Aussie!” 

“Packed, full, whatever, you know I’m right.”

“Ugh. Alright,” Willam groaned, then asked, “Alaska? You in?”

“Uh, I’m not really all that hungry,” Alaska said. “You guys should go.”

“Are you sure?” 

“Yeah. I’m getting a little bit of a headache.” 

“Oh no!” Courtney leapt to her feet. “Do you need something? I have magnesium supplements. Or, vitamin b-complex. That’s great for headaches!” 

“Or, if you want something that actually works, I got Tylenol and Advil…” Bianca gestured to one of her boxes. 

“I’ve got Vicodin,” Willam added. “And weed.”

“Thanks guys, but I think I just need to lay down for awhile.” 

“Okay, we’ll leave you alone. Let us know if you want us to bring you back any food,” Courtney offered. 

“Thanks.” 

As the group trooped out of the room, Bianca grabbed her purse and then slung an arm around Courtney’s shoulder, asking, “Magnesium supplements?” 

“My dad’s a doctor of alternative medicine,” Courtney giggled. 

“Well, that tracks…”

***

By the time they perched on the rickety stools at the burrito place, Bianca was beyond starving. She dug into her food with a passion as Courtney resumed her questioning from earlier.

“Sooo,” she began, drawing out the word in that infuriatingly adorable Australian way, “You said that you transferred from Louisiana, right? What brings you out here?”

“Well, I’m majoring in marketing and international relations, and they have this scholarship that combines-”

“You’re an Ashford Scholar?!” Courtney exclaimed, eyes widening dramatically. 

Bianca couldn’t help be a bit pleased with herself, happy that the prestigious scholarship was known even beyond the business school. Courtney was clearly impressed, and so she gave a small shrug of faux modesty. 

“That’s amazing, that’s really...you know only 1 person a year gets that, right?” Courtney asked. 

Bianca nodded and swallowed, then said, “Can’t wait to meet last year’s bitch. I assume they’re extraordinary too.” 

Courtney giggled, resting her cheek on her hand. “So I guess that means you’re gonna have a lot of work to do. I heard those Ashford internships are seriously intense.” 

“I’ll manage…” 

Though her answer sounded nonchalant, she was enjoying Courtney’s obvious respect for her accomplishment. Her eyes practically glimmered in admiration. 

“What about you, dollface?” Bianca asked. “What’s your major? Psychology?” 

“No...although actually I did consider that!” Courtney said. 

“Shocking.” 

Courtney giggled, crunching down on a chip and saying, “I’m doing PoliSci.” 

“Oh, cool.” 

“Yeah…” she leaned in and stage whispered, “Your political system here is absolutely up the shit.” 

Bianca laughed, not entirely familiar with that expression but getting the gist. She was about to agree when Willam interrupted her thoughts.

“That’s so Aussie!” Willam said, mouth muffled with food. 

She assumed that was some kind of inside joke, but found herself unconcerned with being left out. What was more troubling was that until that moment, she’d temporarily forgotten that Willam was even there. She could already tell that it was a problem...how enchanting her new roommate was. Not to mention beautiful. The more Bianca looked into Courtney’s face, the more captivated she became. She cleared her throat, forcing her attention to Willam, who was working her way through a steak burrito bowl. Bianca nudged her foot. 

“What’s your major, then?”

She expected a proud, boastful response but instead, there was just further silence. Conversation dropped dead for a few moments before Courtney chimed in softly with, “She doesn’t have a major yet...She’s still undeclared.”

“What?” Bianca exclaimed in amazement as a hint of pink rose to Willam’s cheeks despite her stony expression. “How can you still be undeclared? What year are you in?”

“Third,” Willam answered tensely, “And it's not that unusual. I just haven’t found the right thing yet, okay?”

If it wasn’t clear before that this was a touchy subject, the little huff at the end of her defense made it painfully obvious. 

“Okay, well...cool.” Bianca grimaced awkwardly. Served her right for trying her hand at some Courtney-esque interview questions. She racked her brain for a lighter topic of conversation. “So...what do you guys...do for fun?”

“Shop,” Willam answered decisively. 

“Oh! You know what we should do!” Courtney exclaimed brightly. “We should go to Cielo Plaza tomorrow!”

“What’s that?” Bianca asked, relieved that the subject change had worked. 

“A mall,” Willam answered. “It’s no King of Prussia but there are a few good stores in there.”

Bianca wasn’t sure what the fuck “King of Prussia” was, but Courtney breezed right past it, happily pitching how great the activity would be. 

“Yeah! And it’s so cute. We could have lunch, find some more decorations for the apartment, get some new clothes-”

“Should ask Alaska if she wants to come too,” Willam said, continuing to speak through mouthfuls of food.

“Of course!” Courtney enthused. “And then Saturday, we could go to the beach! Do you like the beach?”

Bianca did _not_ like the beach. Sand in her asscrack was the last thing she wanted. But the idea of seeing Courtney in a bathing suit was pretty appealing…

“Love the beach,” she said with a smile. 

“Great!” Courtney leaned back proudly. 

“So, uh…what about nighttime fun?” Bianca’s eyes flickered unconsciously to Courtney’s glossy lips, the way her tongue toyed with the straw, before quickly adding, “Any good clubs?” 

“We’re underage,” Courtney said sweetly. 

“Oh, right.” Bianca turned to Willam. “Come on. I know _you’ve_ got a fake ID. Where do you go?”

A secretive, almost mischievous smile spread across Willam’s lips as her eyes narrowed in on Bianca consideringly. There was a confident, daring tone in her voice as she responded with a simple, “Depends.”

Arching her brow, egging her on, Bianca shot back, “On?”

Willam’s smile grew just a little wider as answered, “On what your type of scene is.”

Fully catching onto the joke that had gone over Courtney’s head, Bianca sat back in her seat, arms crossed with an amused grin of her own and asked, “What do you think it is?”

There was a loaded pause as the two stared one another down. Courtney’s eyes darted back and forth in confusion, looking absolutely lost. 

Finally, after what felt like a decade of waiting, Willam broke the silence of the group and replied almost smugly, “I think you'll be right at home in Sierra's.”

“Willam!” Courtney scolded harshly as she gave her friend a firm smack to the arm. Turning a bright shade of pink, she turned to Bianca and apologized, lowing her voice, “I'm sorry, that...that's a _gay bar_.”

The way her voice had dipped into such a low whisper had Bianca laughing on the spot. As soon as she managed to get ahold of herself, she inquired with amusement, “So? What’s wrong with gay bars?”

Stunned, Courtney blinked several times before finding her voice again. “Nothing! That’s not what I-it’s not that there’s anything wrong, she just shouldn’t _assume_...I mean, if you’re okay with it, then-” 

“Well, it’s probably gonna be my best bet at getting laid,” came the nonchalant answer.

Looking rather pleased with herself, Willam piped back up for affirmation, “So you are...?”

Nodding her head, Bianca confirmed, “Mh-mm...And what about you? Casual observer or part of the family?”

“I mean...if that's what I'm in the mood for, yeah.”

“Makes sense,” Bianca quipped as her brow arched, “You do seem like the ‘take it anywhere you can get it’ type.”

The comment earned a loud laugh, one distinct enough to draw the attention of nearly everyone else in the shop. Despite the onlookers, Willam reassured her with a playful grin, “Trust me bitch, it’s not that hard to get it around here...”

“Sounds promising,” Bianca replied before turning back to Courtney, “You alright, dollface? You’ve been awfully quiet over here.”

Stumbling to collect herself, Courtney found herself mumbling, “Oh...um, no. I mean, yeah, I'm not-I mean-”

“Court is straight,” Willam said, saving her from stammering any longer. 

“You don’t say,” Bianca said, trying to sound like she’d known all along. Secretly though, she was a bit surprised. She could have sworn that the blonde had been giving her vibes all day. Well...too bad. Karmic justice, indeed. With a sly sideways glance at her, Bianca clucked, “Pity.” 

Snorting through her laughter, Willam shook her head and said, “Yeah, you wish, bitch. But that pussy’s a boys club.” 

“Bill!” Courtney wrinkled her nose in distaste. 

Bianca shook her head sadly, asking, “So...you’ve never even been eaten out by someone who actually knows what the hell they're doing down there?”

“Hey! Men can learn!” Courtney exclaimed defensively, then a tiny conspiratorial grin crept onto her face and she admitted, “I mean...hypothetically.” 

Bianca burst into cackling laughter. 

“Oh, you poor baby,” she cooed, still giggling, slipping an arm around Courtney’s shoulders. Courtney turned to her with a look of good-natured self-pity, lower lip puffed out, batting her lashes slowly for comedic effect. 

The more Bianca thought about it, the more she realized that there was something a bit freeing about Courtney being straight. She was straight. There were lines that would never be crossed, ever. So it meant she was safe to flirt and have fun and it would never make her living situation complicated.

_Win win, right?_

Bianca looked into Courtney’s sparkling green eyes one last time before removing the arm from her shoulder, chuckles dying down. 

***

Bianca suggested a stop at the grocery store on the way home, which Courtney realized was a great idea, since she had barely anything stocked, having chosen to eat most of her meals for the past few days in the cafeteria by their building. 

Plus, she didn’t mind at all that they were extending their outing, finding Bianca to be both hilarious and fascinating. While Willam was occupied on her phone, Courtney hopped into the cart, beaming up at Bianca. 

“Uh, I’m sorry, are your legs broken?” Bianca asked pointedly. 

“Come on, please?! I wanna riiiiide,” she wheedled, and Bianca smirked at her. 

“Oh, I can give you a ride.” 

Courtney bit her lip, both hating and loving the way her stomach twisted every time she looked into Bianca’s brown eyes. It was thrilling, but also terrifying, like being on a rollercoaster--and Courtney loved rollercoasters. She was still a bit miffed at Willam for so adamantly proclaiming her straightness earlier, though she couldn’t really say why. It was true, of course, she _was_ straight, but the way Willam said it so definitively was annoying, especially since she’d only just found out that Bianca was gay moments before. 

All Courtney did know, for sure, was that she was having fun, so she decided just to enjoy herself and not stress about it. 

They sped through the store, picking up pantry staples and some produce for the next couple of days, along with a few treats that Courtney insisted on...coconut water, dates, kale chips. Bianca pretended to be disgusted by all of it. 

At one point, in the freezer aisle, Courtney found herself gazing up at Bianca, admiring again how thick and shiny her hair was. When Bianca leaned over the cart to toss in a package of frozen peas, Courtney reached up, fingering a lock gently. 

“Is that your real hair color?” she asked. 

“No,” Bianca said, “Not even close. Why, is that _your_ real hair color?” She reached out, unceremoniously ruffling Courtney’s hair. 

Courtney ducked and giggled, saying, “Almost! It’s...slightly enhanced.” 

A wicked look passed across Bianca’s face as she said, “You know, there’s a way to check that.” 

“Eyebrows?” Courtney asked, lashes fluttering innocently. 

Bianca cackled gleefully, dark eyes dancing with joy, and said, “Yeah, eyebrows. That’s exactly what I was thinking.” 

Courtney bit her lip, feeling a surge of pride at making someone as funny as Bianca laugh so hard. 

They were almost to the check-out when an employee asked tiredly for her to please get out of the cart. 

“Oh yeah, sorry!” she said, scrambling to get up. 

“Need a hand?” Bianca asked. 

“Thanks.” Courtney let Bianca help her out, one hand holding the cart steady and the other on her waist. A faint blush colored her cheeks as she jumped down and found herself chest to chest with Bianca, close enough to smell her perfume, which was lovely--warm and smoky. It made Courtney want to lean in closer...

“Let’s go!” Willam screeched, slamming the cart into their legs. 

“Soz Bill!” Courtney snapped out of her daze and headed for the registers, making sure to snatch a few bars of dark chocolate on the way, chuckling slightly at Willam’s mumbled, “That’s so Aussie.” 

It was still early when they got back to the apartment, and Courtney was too riled up to sleep, so she suggested opening a bottle of the wine that Bianca bought. Alaska was dozing, so they left her in peace while the three of them sat around Courtney and Willam’s room and chatted for a few more hours. They shared stories about their childhoods and families, generally getting to know each other--at least until Bianca’s eyelids began to look heavy and they sent her off to bed.

As Courtney finally snuggled down into her comforter, lightly buzzed and perfectly content, her last thought was how lucky she was, how wonderful her roommates were, how life-changingly amazing this year promised to be. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the next chapter in this series, simply click next chapter! XOXO


	2. Day 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bianca and Courtney continue to get to know each other: an endeavor that involves quite a bit of teasing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the companion story to “No Strings Attached.” Both ships are in both stories, but generally, “No Strings Attached” is Willaska-focused and this one is Bitney-focused.  
> 

_SLAM!_

The jarring sound startled Bianca out of what was pretty sure had been a very pleasant dream, making her whole body jolt upright. Was that their door? Why was anyone even awake at this hour? She pressed a palm against her left eye, where a dull headache seemed to be forming. 

She wasn’t sure why. They hadn’t had that much to drink last night--only a few glasses of wine while telling each other some random stories about their families growing up. They seemed a bit scandalized to learn that even though she was a junior like them, she was 23 years old. She was unsurprised to learn that Willam’s parents owned a bar. And equally unsurprised to learn about Courtney’s family house in Brisbane, a solar-powered bungalow with overflowing vegetable gardens. 

But who would be up at...Bianca looked at her phone. 6 am. _Jesus._

Alaska still burrowed under a mound of covers--that awful duvet, plus a fuzzy, muppet-like electric blue blanket and a rainbow knitted monstrosity that looked like it had been made by a team of emotionally disturbed fairies. She hadn’t moved an inch at the sound. Heavy sleeper, apparently. 

_Must be nice._

Bianca threw off her covers bitterly to go investigate the noise, perhaps yell at whoever dared to disturb her at this ungodly hour. Despite having been intent on reading said person for filth, the moment she found Courtney curled on the couch in her fleece blanket, blowing softly on a steaming mug, Bianca felt the majority of her annoyance suddenly disappearing. Still, she was determined to set a precedent.

“Bitch, was that you that slammed the fucking door?” she asked, though her voice lacked any of the sharpness she originally intended.

An apologetic smile was shot her way and right through her heart as Courtney shook her head and explained, “No, soz. That was Bill. She’s on her way to the gym.”

“At 6 AM?” Bianca exclaimed in exasperation, “Jesus fuck, does she hate herself? There’s easier ways to go about making yourself miserable, let me tell you.”

The laughter that emanated from Courtney at the statement was enough for any remaining trace of irritation to completely dissipate from Bianca’s body. Part of her marveled at how Courtney always managed to have a smile on her face. It was as though very little could be done to truly phase her.

“I’ll talk to her,” Courtney promised sweetly, “She always heads to the gym around this time but maybe I can convince her to shut the door more quietly, okay?”

There was a natural charm in the smile on Courtney’s lips, one that assured you that if she said something, she meant it. And with that reassurance, Bianca muttered a word of thanks and continued on towards the bathroom.

When she emerged, she found Courtney waiting for her with yet another smile and a steaming mug of coffee. 

“The sugar is in-”

“I take it black,” Bianca said, following her back into the livingroom and settling on the sofa. 

“Hard core,” Courtney laughed. 

They sat side by side, not really talking much but instead just enjoying the morning in each other’s company as some program played on the screen. Bianca was almost tempted to ask what it was but ultimately found she didn’t really care about the answer. She was too content at the moment to interrupt the peace and relative quiet of their living room. 

Once Courtney finished her coffee, she started to slide a bit closer to Bianca, inching over a little at a time and finally claiming her shoulder as a makeshift pillow. Bianca tried to ignore the way her stomach fluttered as she wrapped an arm around Courtney’s sleepy form. How nice it felt to have a warm, soft body pressed up against her. How her hair smelled like honeysuckle. 

_Fuck._

Bianca stayed still as long as she could stand it...even drifted off herself a few times. But eventually, once her arm fell asleep and her stomach began to rumble, she regretfully roused Courtney awake, smiling slightly as she yawned and rubbed her eyes. 

“Sorry about that,” Courtney said.

“It’s alright. I was just starting to get hungry and I didn’t want to dump you on the floor.”

“Aww, that’s sweet as!” Courtney laughed, jumping to her feet and offering Bianca a hand, as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as ever. 

“Sweet as _what?_ ”

“Uhh,” Courtney pursed her lips, trying to figure out how to explain. “Just…”

“That’s so Aussie?” Bianca asked. 

“Yeah, I think so,” Courtney laughed. 

***

Once in the kitchen, Courtney began to pull an assortment of items from the fridge...bananas, apples, dates, spinach, a carrot, frozen blueberries, a can of coconut milk, an avocado. She could see Bianca eying the combination with great suspicion.

“What the fuck are you planning to make?” Bianca asked, touching her lightly on the arm. 

A hot flush crept into her cheeks as she said, “Smoothie. Want some?”

“Pass, dollface,” Bianca said, grimacing.

“Suit yourself,” Courtney shot back in sing-songy voice, pulling the blender out of the cabinet and beginning to toss in the ingredients, “But what are you gonna eat?”

Bianca’s brow arched and a devilish smirk spread across her lips. She let her eyes roam slowly and meaningfully over Courtney’s body before settling back on her face with an expression that seemed to dare Courtney to say something. All Courtney could think about was that comment from the day before, about how she’d never been eaten out by someone who knows what they’re doing. A fair statement--and it certainly piqued Courtney’s curiosity. But she wasn’t about to give Bianca the satisfaction of knowing that. 

“Uh-uh,” Courtney rebuffed as she struggled to contain a nervous laugh. Her cheeks were certainly blazing under Bianca’s hungry gaze but she was determined to stand her ground. “Not on the menu.”

Far from being discouraged, Bianca just gave her a little wink as she pushed herself away from the counter’s ledge and replied in mock disappointment, “Shame. Eggs it is then.”

She sauntered back towards the fridge but as she opened it, Courtney decided to keep the joke going, adding, “Well, it's not on the menu today...but…” she trailed off, chuckling a little, but when she saw the glint in Bianca’s eye, she breathed in sharply, pressing her lips together.

“Yeah?” Bianca leaned in close again, trapping her against the counter. “Gonna be running a special sometime? Might just take you up on that, you know.”

Courtney had no response; there was precious little going through her head other than how close Bianca was to her. How close their lips were to one another’s.

Part of her was fighting against the temptation to lean in, ever so slightly, to see what Bianca would do. Deep down she knew Bianca was only trying to get a rise out of her (and it was working) and she longed to call her bluff. To say something smart and sassy just to impress her, even a little. But here she was, mouth agape and unable to vocalize any sort of coherent thought.

Taking pity on her shell-shocked roommate, Bianca immediately backed off and cackled, “Oh, my god! Relax! I’m just joking, Court.”

She was still chuckling even as she retreated back to the fridge but for Courtney it felt like her presence had never really left. She could feel the heat of Bianca’s body as it had nearly touched hers, skin tingling with the memory of feeling her so close. 

“Sorry...I’m kind of a shameless flirt,” Bianca said, pulling out a carton of eggs. “It’s one of my best and worst qualities.”

“Me too,” Courtney said, letting out a relieved exhale. So, there. Bianca was in fact just playing around. That’s what she’d assumed, and it was good to be right. Right?

“Yeah, so...it doesn’t really mean anything. But I’m sure you know that-”

“Of course.” 

“But you should tell me if I go too far,” Bianca said gently, brown eyes soft and warm.

“Same,” Courtney replied, hoping that her cheeks were less red than they felt. That Bianca believed the truth: that this was just fun and games, nothing more. 

After another dimpled grin, Courtney was finally able to pull herself fully together with a strong mental note to never let herself become that overwhelmed by Bianca again.

If Bianca wanted to play...well, she’d play right along, too. 

***

Twenty minutes later, with a fresh batch of coffee and breakfast nearly ready, Alaska had finally stumbled out of bed to join Bianca and Courtney in the kitchen. As the eggs sizzled away in the frying pan, Bianca had set Courtney to work on buttering some toast for the both of them (it had been a slight challenge given their lack of toaster, but Bianca managed to use the oven broiler). 

Alaska’s bedhead made quite a sight as she sleepily wandered into the kitchen, still looking only half awake.

Courtney was the first to greet their disheveled roommate with a warm smile, inquiring, “Good morning! Are you feeling any better?”

After Alaska’s polite nod, Courtney’s quickly followed up by offering up some of her breakfast smoothie, chock full of nutrients to help shoo away any remaining trace of illness she might have had. 

“No one wants your gross smoothie!” Bianca exclaimed, adding, “Beware, Alaska. I saw her put dates in that thing.”

“Shut up!” Courtney laughed out, a hand on her hip. “Dates make it sweet.” 

Rolling her own eyes, Bianca was quick to fire back, “You know what else would make it sweet? Sugar.”

Cocking her head to the side, Courtney cooed out, “Yes, cupcake?” 

Their banter was interrupted when Alaska piped in to ask about the coffee she’d smelled. Gesturing to the French press, Bianca encouraged her to help herself. 

Bianca poked at the eggs, satisfied. Before she served them up, she looked at Alaska and asked if she wanted any. 

“No, thanks,” she answered politely.

Bianca nodded, dividing them in between the two waiting plates and making a mental note to find out what Alaska liked to eat. She knew it was probably silly and mom-like, but she would have felt a lot better if she’d had something to offer Alaska in the way of comfort food. She resisted the urge to pressure her to eat something, silencing her own mother’s voice and sitting down with the plates. 

Courtney took her plate, offering some of the toast from the large stack in exchange. And licking the butter knife clean with a saucy glint in her eye.

Shaking her head, Bianca chuckled and said, “That’s disgusting.”

Courtney simply shrugged and giggled along with her, saying, “I like to lick things.” 

Bianca pressed her lips together. That one was too easy, and she was determined not to take the bait. 

“Where’s Willam?” Alaska wondered aloud, giving Bianca a welcome change of topics. “Still asleep?”

Before Bianca could even make a crack about Alaska sleeping through the racket that was Willam leaving at 6 AM this morning, Courtney chimed in with a casual, upbeat, “No, she’s at the gym! Gotta keep it tight as for her clients.”

That one particular word immediately captured the attention of both Bianca and Alaska and almost instantly their heads snapped back to Courtney for more information. Alaska’s eyes were wide as saucers and Bianca knew that her own expression must be similar. 

Courtney seemed to instantly regret the choice of words, sputtering, “Uh...I mean...” 

“...Clients?” Bianca found herself asking with nothing but suspicion and judgment dripping from the word. 

“Well…”

“Courtney. Are we sharing an apartment with a hooker?!” Bianca asked, pointing a fork at her for emphasis. 

“No!” Courtney cried out empathically, “No, not a hooker. She’s like…”

Alaska seemed to be leaning off the edge of her seat as she inquired rather eagerly, “Yeah?”

“I’m not sure I should say,” Courtney reasoned, half muttering to herself, “I mean, it’s not like a secret, but I just don’t feel like it’s my place to-“

“Well too late, bitch.” Bianca cut in as she leaned in even more, arguing, “You brought it up. Now you have to tell us.”

Rolling her eyes up to the ceiling for a moment, Courtney huffed out, “It’s not a big deal! She just like...video chats with guys and they buy her stuff.” 

Bianca relaxed a bit, gears turning in her head as she clarified, “She’s a cam girl?” 

“Um. Yeah.”

“Oh.” Bianca felt like she was deflating. The self-righteous anger churning in her chest subsided and she shrugged. As long as no “clients” would be brought back to the apartment, Bianca didn’t really care what Willam did. Although, hopefully she wouldn’t have to hear anything. _Ew._

***

Courtney loved Cielo Plaza, the open-air shopping center with adorable Spanish-style buildings covered in murals and bougainvillea. The courtyard was full of beautiful plants and tiled fountains, almost like another world. When they first arrived, she saw Bianca looking around with a bit of a puzzled expression. She grinned, knowing that this wasn’t what most people expected when you said “mall.” 

“Not what you pictured?” Courtney asked, bumping her hip gently. 

“No, I guess not,” Bianca said, following her and Willam, who was striding confidently towards her favorite clothing stores. 

Courtney’s eyes lit up as she caught sight of See’s Candies, tugging on Willam’s arm to get her to slow down. She could never resist See’s and their deeply generous sample policy. 

“Bill, come on, let’s go get samples!” 

Despite Willam’s heels dragging (and firmly ignoring the set of rolling eyes), Courtney was determined to get her a sample. Even if _she_ didn’t eat it, Courtney would be sure it wouldn’t go to waste. She was almost licking her lips in anticipation of what she might get when she heard Alaska piping up with a soft sigh in her voice, “My ex-girlfriend was obsessed with that place. She never shut up about it.”

At once Courtney’s feet stilled and she rounded to look back at Alaska.

And she wasn’t the only one; Willam’s head rose after hearing the unexpected information and even Bianca had shifted her gaze from a distant boutique in order to study the girl next to her. At first, it seemed like Alaska had something more to add on but upon finding everyone’s attention solely focused on her, she immediately shut herself up, a light flush coloring her cheeks.

She looked a tad...panicky. As if she weren’t sure what to expect from sharing this information. 

But Courtney knew better, a grin spreading across her face, gushing happily, “Don’t worry, Bianca’s gay too! And Willam’s bi!”

She certainly would have said more had she not chanced to catch sight of Bianca shooting her a look of mild irritation. 

_Oh._

Perhaps that wasn’t something that needed to be shared so loudly...or publicly, now that she thought about it. Her stomach began to drop as her cheeks darkened to mirror the same shade that was present on Alaska’s. 

Shaking her head, Willam grumbled, “Foot in Mouth Disease strikes again...Anything else you want to share with the other mallgoers, Court? Maybe inform them of my ass waxing schedule?”

“You wanna call my grandma, come out for me?” Bianca questioned as nothing but snark penetrated her voice. Her eyes rolled as she placed a hand on her hip and added in, “I don’t think _she_ knows yet.”

Falling over her words as her eyes darted from one woman to the next, Courtney struggled to explain herself, “I thought…I mean, yesterday you said that you-I just thought it would be better if she knew...shit...”

She thought her stomach couldn’t be twisted any tighter until she finally saw a crack in their hardass façade. Bianca was the first to break completely, slipping an arm around Courtney’s shoulders.

“She already knew, dollface. She’s seen us at the meetings,” Bianca assured her.

A little wink might’ve been thrown her way but nothing could distract her from the utter relief she felt washing over her. Though Bianca was at least attempting to keep composure, it was hard to miss Willam’s trademark laugh echoing in the background. Even Alaska seemed to be more than a bit amused by the situation. 

Almost involuntarily, Courtney found herself crossing her arms and rolling her eyes as she attempted to will away the furious blush on her cheeks. Even with the slight mortification she felt, she couldn’t stop herself from leaning further into the warmth of the body pressed against her. But still, she was determined to save some face and let out a sarcastic muttering of, “Ha ha.”

“Well, I’d invite you,” Bianca purred next to her ear, “but I’m not sure you’re ready for the initiation ceremony…”

The arm draped across her shoulders slipped even lower until Bianca’s hand was nestled firmly into the small of her back. It was all Courtney could do to suppress a shiver as Bianca’s nails grazed across the strip of bare skin above her shorts. Having enough of the teasing, at least for now, Courtney turned on her heel and strode off in the direction of the candy shop for a self-indulgent treat. 

Bianca followed closely behind, smirk ever-present on her face, even as Willam called after her, “And your grandma totally knows, by the way.”

Barely suppressing a laugh, she turned back around and flipped off her roommate before inquiring one final time, “You guys coming in?” 

She left the door hanging open as a welcome invitation but Alaska was still reluctant to follow the pair into the shop. She mumbled a polite refusal, one prompting Willam to stay outside and join her, and with a carefree shrug, Bianca replied airily, “Suit yourself,” and let the door close shut behind her. 

***

Once inside, she saw Courtney immediately, standing in line and fawning over a large glass display case filled with chocolates and truffles of every kind. 

“Okay,” Courtney said, down to business the second Bianca approached. “We’re each gonna get a sample, and then I think we should each buy two or three more...and then we can try a whole bunch. How does that sound?” 

“It sounds like a lot of fucking chocolate at…” Bianca glanced at her phone, “eleven-thirty in the morning.” 

“Almost lunchtime!” Courtney insisted. “Besides...life is short.” 

“Fine, fine.” Bianca sighed. “Pick whatever you want, dollface. It’s on me.” 

Courtney squealed happily, turning back to the case, nose practically pressed against the glass. Bianca chuckled to herself. Courtney took her time selecting her favorites, almost all dark, proudly handing Bianca one of the samples while the clerk rang them up. 

“That’s my absolute favorite. Dark chocolate raspberry cream,” she said. 

Bianca took the candy, taking a small bite. It was pretty damn good. She looked up at Courtney’s big eyes, which momentarily looked like a toddler watching their mommy leave for work, and couldn’t help laughing. 

“You want the other half, baby?” she asked indulgently.

Feigning uncertainty, Courtney inquired, “You don’t want it?” but Bianca was having none of that and swiftly held out the half-eaten treat towards her roommate.

“Take it,” she insisted.

A flash of a happy smile stretched across Courtney’s face before her lips wrapped around the candy and Bianca’s fingers. Bianca couldn’t help gasping softly as Courtney’s eyes darted up to hers, lips curled into as much of a smirk as could be managed. She gave a quick lick around Bianca’s fingers as she snatched away the rest of the candy.

A burst of laughter erupted from Bianca’s chest as she immediately reached over to wipe off the remaining saliva across Courtney’s cheek. “Fucking whore,” she accused her roommate.

“I told you I’m a licker,” she commented as she turned to take her own sample from the counter. 

“Gonna share?” Bianca asked.

Courtney looked back to her in consideration, cocked her head to the side, then calmly popped the entire candy into her mouth as she replied with a simple, “Nope.”

“Fucking _greedy_ whore.”

Bianca’s comment earned a snorting laugh from her roommate as she nearly doubled over to keep herself from spitting out the candy. As she tried to keep control of her giggling, she offered with her mouth still full, “Can give you a taste, though.”

“Right,” Bianca countered with a chuckle of her own, “Nothing as sexy as masticated food.”

With that Courtney flashed her a wide toothy smile complete with chocolate truffle spread across her teeth. It made for quite a sight, Bianca had to admit. 

After paying for the rest of the candy, Bianca handed the small box to Courtney, watching with amusement as she dug in immediately. 

“I think this one is cafe au lait,” she said, taking a large bite. “Yup. Amazing. Wanna taste?” She offered Bianca the rest, what amounted to about one-tenth of the truffle. 

“So generous,” Bianca said, taking the tiny piece as Courtney moved onto the next, and the next. 

“You’re gonna be sick,” she said, but Courtney shrugged. 

“I have low blood sugar.”

“And I suppose we’re not taking any back for Will and Alaska?” 

“Well…” Courtney paused thoughtfully, fingers hovering over the last two pieces. “They could have come in.”

Bianca laughed. Her behavior with the chocolates was the first sign of selfishness that she’d seen Courtney display. And it was, of course, fucking adorable. 

In spite of eating what seemed to be a third of her weight in candy, the first thing Courtney questioned upon meeting up with the other women outside were their plans for lunch, suggesting a bakery at the other end of the mall. 

“You’re still hungry? You just ate 3 pounds of chocolate,” Bianca chuckled. 

A trace of a pout appeared on Courtney’s lips as she prepared to argue with Bianca, but her response was cut short by Willam waving them off with a curt, “You go ahead, we’ll catch up.”

Courtney cocked her head to the side, concerned, and questioned her in a motherly tone, “Are you okay? Are you sick again? Do you want to go home?” 

She might have probed even further but Willam was quick to step in with a defensive, “She’s fine.” Then added in a further, rather rushed, explanation of, “She’s just telling me about a recurring fantasy she’s having...of strangling you in your sleep.”

Snorting out a loud laugh, Bianca found herself piling on, “Who hasn’t had _that_ one!”

“I know, very relatable,” Willam replied with a smirk firmly set on her lips as Courtney blew a raspberry in her direction.

“Fuck you all, cunts!” she announced before grabbing Bianca’s wrist and dragging her off in a fit of righteous indignation. 

Her pace soon slowed down, but only after Bianca’s chuckling had finally subsided. Strange though, Bianca noticed, Courtney still hadn’t let go of her hand. In fact, if anything, she had adjusted her positioning in order to be more comfortable. The only thing missing was their fingers laced. 

But as she pondered whether or not read anything into it, a shop front caught her eye further up the walkway. She immediately diverted her course towards the store in question with Courtney following closely. She didn’t seem to consider letting go of Bianca’s hand, simply gripping her tighter.

***

“What do you need in here?” Courtney asked, heart skipping a few beats at Bianca pulled her inside the lingerie store. 

“Saw something for you, hold on.”

Curious, Courtney allowed her to guide the way, feeling a twinge of excitement growing in her chest. Quickly, it fell flat as Bianca pointed up rather proudly at a mannequin displaying a hot pink babydoll nightie trimmed in matching lace.

“I thought the pink suited you,” Bianca defended herself, though the hidden laughter in her voice did little to convince Courtney of her sincerity.

A brow shot up at the statement and Courtney cast a quick glance towards the rest of the mannequins, finding the perfect one on the very end of the display--a sheer, bright red, lace teddy. 

Pointing it out, she commented cheekily, “Actually, _this_ is more my style.”

“Mmm,” Bianca mused to herself as she pretended to study the garment. She took in every little detail inch by inch, then turned back to state in all seriousness, “I don’t think you have the tits to fill that out. Sorry.”

“Cunt!” Courtney laughed out as she leaned into her roommate for support.

But Bianca’s fun was far from over.

Tugging Courtney further inside, she assured her, “Don’t worry, I’m sure we can find something to cover those tiny, little A-cups...somewhere.”

“I’m a B cup!” Courtney cried indignantly, adding, “Most of the time.”

Bianca chuckled, guiding her towards a table full of elaborately embroidered bralettes. 

For almost 15 minutes, the pair darted from one section to the next, pointing out the skimpiest or sexiest bits of lingerie that they could find (and of course suggesting that the other person model them). Courtney was having so much fun that she didn’t even mind the salesgirls eyeing them suspiciously. Finally, Courtney found her coup de grace in the form of some very revealing, forest-green panties. The entire piece consisted solely of strategically placed straps and sheer lace, doing nothing in terms of coverage: more the _idea_ of panties than actual underwear. 

Courtney held them out triumphantly and silently dared Bianca to find something better than that, confident that she had won. But the smirk on her face was wiped off when Bianca tossed them back into the pile, pulling out a nearly identical pair.

“ _These_ are my size,” she taunted as Courtney’s jaw went slightly slack.

And then, she moved to another small pile next to the panties. Quickly finding the right piece, she sauntered up to the front counter with her intended purchases, but not before mentioning with an enviable air of casualness, “Matching bra. Really completes the whole look.”

At this, Courtney’s jaw did drop but Bianca’s back was thankfully already to her. Rushing up to the front counter, Courtney’s eyes remained glued to the matching bra and panty set. Her mind raced, some not so modest thoughts of what the clothing might look like on Bianca’s body flashing through--the rich color would be gorgeous against her skin, that was clear. And the skimpy straps would barely contain her curves…

Her thoughts were cut short when Bianca spun around, bag dangling from her hand, and said, “So...lunch?” 

“Oh, um...yeah.” Courtney gulped, leading her out of the store and back down the walkway towards the bakery. Once her hammering heart slowed down a bit, she cast a glance towards Bianca, linking arms with her and saying, “I’m glad you found something you liked in there.”

Bianca grinned back at her, dimples deep in her cheeks. 

“Yeah, thanks. You’ve got real classy taste.” 

Courtney giggled, beginning to accept and even enjoy the permanent blush that seemed to be on her cheeks anytime she was around Bianca. 

“Anytime,” Courtney said. “And you know, if you need advice about what to wear in more—” 

She was shaken out of her slight daze by the sound of Willam’s voice shouting, “Hey! What the fuck?”

Happily, Courtney waved back to her and quickly finished, “—in more formal settings, like to the office, I’d be happy to help.” 

“What makes you think I won’t wear these to the office?” 

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize your internship was in a brothel.”

“I mean, it is the oldest profession,” Bianca cackled. 

As they approached Willam and Alaska, Courtney ignored the irritated tapping of Willam’s foot, the hand on her hip, tossing her a sweet kiss and focusing her attention on Alaska. 

“Sorry about that, back there,” Alaska said, and Courtney smiled, reaching out to give her hand a reassuring squeeze. 

“It’s fine. I hope you’re okay,” she said. Though she wanted to ask more questions, really just to make sure she was alright, Courtney thought it’d be best to wait. She was confident that Alaska would come to her when she felt comfortable. In fact, her mood seemed to have lightened quite a bit since their brief break from one another. She’d bet anything that Willam reached out to Alaska and helped her lift some of the weight off her chest. Though some people might see Willam as selfish or uncaring, Courtney knew the truth. That when it counted, she was sensitive and even loving, loyal to a fault. That there was nobody better to talk to about a broken heart. 

Alaska nodded, then asked, “Did you at least have some fun?”

“Yeah,” she replied, smile growing and cheeks beginning to heat up again. She spared a glance at Bianca and said, “B made an...interesting purchase.”

Immediately, a sneaky, devilish little smirk appeared on Bianca’s face and raising a finger to her lips, she seemed to say, _‘Our secret.’_

A thrill passed through Courtney’s body at that, a feeling in her abdomen not unlike riding a rollercoaster. She wondered if the others would let things go, or demand to be let in on the joke, and found herself hoping for the former, to allow her this one little secret with Bianca, something just for them. 

“I’m sure I don’t even want to know,” Willam said, and Alaska giggled in agreement. “Come on, let’s go get some food.”

***

“Are you sure this table meets all of your requirements, your highness?” Bianca scoffed. They’d already passed by at least five others that didn’t meet Willam’s exacting criteria.

Sipping her iced tea, Willam gave a passive shrug of her shoulders and replied back, “I know what I like.”

Bianca shared a long-suffering look with Alaska as she finally took a seat and let herself relax for a moment. Across the table, Courtney let out a contented sigh and mused out loud as she stirred her lemonade, “Don’t days like this just make you happy to be alive?”

Rolling her eyes at the sappy statement, Bianca muttered, “Alright, Miss America.”

Courtney stuck out her tongue at the comment and remarked proudly, “I did actually win a pageant, once.”

Willam groaned at the statement and moved to cut the story short with a tired, “We know, we know, Miss Tater Tot-”

“No, Miss _Tiny_ Tot,” Courtney squeaked out through a burst of giggles that echoed through the courtyard. Turning back to her new roommates, she added in, “I was 5. I won a car.”

Feeling her face twisting in disbelief, Bianca asked incredulously, “What the fuck is a 5-year-old supposed to do with a car?”

Slightly distracted, Alaska murmured wistfully, “I would love to meet Miss Tater Tot. She sounds delicious.”

“And crispy,” Bianca agreed, giving a slight nod of her head.

Tossing in a carefree wave of her hand, Willam mentioned, “Ehh, I’m off carbs.”

Despite being the butt of the joke yet again, Courtney played it off, resting her delicate chin in her hands, a dreamy smile stretching across her lips. 

But before she could say anything, Willam cut her off with a lamenting, “Oh, no.”

_“What?”_

“I know that fucking look,” she accused, “You’re about to get all...sisterhood of the traveling pants on us, aren’t you?”

“No!” Courtney cried out defensively, “I was just gonna say-”

“Something lame and cheesy about best friends forever?” Willam guessed as her eyes narrowed in on Courtney with a silent dare to try and lie and say she was wrong.

Crossing her arms, Courtney shot back, “-that I’m glad we’re all getting to know each other...and I have a really good feeling about this year.” Turning her attention strictly back to Willam, she asked in a lilting, mock-submissive tone, “Was that acceptable, boss?”

“....Barely. You’re on thin ice,” Willam said, stealing Courtney’s drink for a quick sip.

An adorable, good-natured pout began to form on Courtney’s face, but Alaska came to her defense. 

“I think it was great, Courtney,” she assured with a sincere smile, raising her drink, “Here’s to the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.”

“More like the Golden Girls,” Bianca remarked dryly.

A squeal quickly emanated from beside her, much to her shock. She had yet to see Alaska get this excited about anything; it seemed that reference struck a chord. 

Willam, on the other hand, was less than impressed. “Speak for yourself, you old cunt.” 

Bianca gave her the finger as Alaska wriggled excitedly in her seat.

“Omigod,” Alaska exclaimed with an exuberant grin, “I _love_ that show!”

Brow furrowed in confusion, Courtney asked, “What show?”

“Golden Girls!”

Shaking her head, Courtney admitted, “Never heard of it.”

Alaska’s jaw went slack as she stared at Courtney from across the table. Bianca could see the wheels beginning to turn in her head so it came as no surprise when she decided, “Well, I know what we’re doing tonight.”

Doubtful of Alaska’s plans, Bianca asked, “Is it even streaming anywhere?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Alaska stated with a firm resolution in her voice, “I have all 7 seasons on DVD.”

Bianca could practically see her entire evening being swallowed up right in front of her but she was out of ideas to delay it. Only Willam had one last card to play. With an almost convincing air of disappointment, she pointed out, “We don’t have a DVD player…”

Without missing a beat, Alaska rebutted, “We’re at a mall. It’s happening. Also we need to buy cheesecake.” 

The only one who seemed excited about this prospect was Courtney, the little traitor. She easily became swept up in Alaska’s excitement and allowed her mood to soar with the prospect of a movie night. With her hands clasped to her chest in glee, she suggested, “Can we all get in our jammies and make popcorn and have a real slumber party?”

Alaska’s eyes lit up with a joyful spark and pointing her finger at Courtney, she immediately agreed.

Accepting her defeat gracefully, all Bianca could do was mutter, “Dear God,” along with a mental banging of her head on the table. 

Sharing a similar sentiment, Willam leaned in towards her and stage-whispered, “It’s not too late to kill them both, you know.”

Bianca instantly cracked up at the statement, and suddenly a girl’s night in watching Golden Girls didn’t seem too awful. If nothing else, she could trade snide comments with Willam and use some of the huge arsenal of hilarious anti-Florida jokes she’d built up over the years.

And then, of course, there was Courtney and her blissed-out little face, as happy as a lark—almost infectiously so. 

_Maybe...this could be fun after all._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the next chapter in this series, please [click here!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27100924/chapters/67107688) XOXO!


	3. Jeremy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Courtney and Bianca both struggle, in their own ways, to fight the feelings they’re having for each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: Explicit (for fantasies)
> 
> This is the companion story to “No Strings Attached.” Both ships are in both stories, but generally, “No Strings Attached” is Willaska-focused and this one is Bitney-focused.  
> 

Until tonight, Courtney had been having a fantastic semester. She adored her friends, loved her classes, was partying enough to keep things interesting but not too much too to be exhausted by it. She’d taken a vocal performance class on a whim, and that led to her getting a small part in _Cabaret_ , which she was enjoying immensely. 

But tonight...tonight was not going well. 

Courtney really had nothing against the boy. Jeremy. He seemed...perfectly fine, she supposed. What annoyed her was the way it all went down. Willam sailing through the door, clearly far from sober, with the two identical boys. Thrilled to shove this one down Courtney’s throat (literally, with a teasing comment about her lack of gag reflex) while she pulled the other one into the bedroom to fuck him. 

And now, he was sitting on the sofa with a grin that made Courtney’s stomach a little sick. 

She shifted uncomfortably, wishing that Alaska hadn’t left the room. Not that she could blame her for hightailing it out of there the second Willam showed up with the guys. But still...it would’ve been nice to have a buffer. 

Because Courtney didn’t mind talking to the guy. Of course not, she’d talk to anyone. But being left alone with him when he was clearly expecting her to fool around? That was just beyond awkward. 

She supposed that she could just make out with him a little. He wasn’t hideous or anything. But then, on the other hand, she was properly annoyed that Willam had just flung the guy at her and left. 

“So, uh...wow, this is…” Jeremy let out a nervous laugh, giving Courtney a moment of relief. 

“Pretty fucked up?” Courtney asked. 

“Yeah. But...I guess we could make the most of it,” he added, a sly smile returning to his face. “I mean, you’re way hotter than I expected.” 

“Um…” Courtney usually loved compliments, but that one landed like a thud. “Thanks.” 

“No, it’s just…” He moved closer to Courtney on the sofa. “Willam said you were pretty, but that was a serious understatement. You’re…” His eyes scanned her body up and down, and she cringed inwardly.

“Thanks, I just-” 

“Look, I know it’s a bit of a weird way to meet, but...could be a fun story for the grandkids, right?” That smarmy grin again. Courtney’s stomach turned. 

He moved closer again, arm sliding around her shoulders. After a brief moment of panic, the sound of the front door unlocking caused her heart to lurch with relief. 

“Excuse me…” she said, jumping up quickly to escape his grasp. “I’ll be right back…”

She raced to meet Bianca, accosting her in the entryway before she could even take off her jacket or put down her purse. 

“B!” she hissed, “Thank god! Please help me!” 

“What’s wrong?”

Desperate to fill Bianca in as fast as possible, the words tumbled from her mouth quickly. 

“So there’s this guy, Jeremy, Willam brought him home and like, foisted him upon me and he’s expecting me to fuck him or fool around or something and I really don’t want to but he’s not getting the hint and-” 

“Okay, okay, slow down,” Bianca said, putting a hand on her shoulder. 

“I just need him gone, so please help me,” Courtney implored, and Bianca’s brow furrowed.

She spoke quietly and gently, asking, “Did he hurt you, Court?”

“No! God no!” Courtney closed her eyes, realizing that she was being way too dramatic. She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. He’s not--I don’t think he’s a bad person. He just thinks that something is gonna happen, and it’s not, and I feel...I don’t know what to do.” 

“Ahhh. So you just need me to be man repellent?” Bianca asked, a sparkle in her eye. 

“Yes please,” Courtney said, clasping her hands together. 

“Gotcha.” Bianca put her things down, and with one last squeeze to Courtney’s shoulder, strolled into the living room. “Joshua!” 

“It’s Jeremy-” 

“Yeah, I don’t care. You gotta go, buddy.” 

“Wh-” 

Courtney felt a bit guilty hiding behind Bianca. Especially when she began to giggle nervously. 

“Bro, it’s not happening,” Bianca continued, doing a very poor job of masking the glee in her voice. “So best to cut your losses here. Move it along, have a nice life-”

“Alright, alright!” Jeremy finally got the message. He stood up in a huff, telling Courtney, “You know, you didn’t need to bring in backup. You could have just told me to leave.” 

“Vamanos, George!” Bianca exclaimed, ushering him towards the door. Once he was safely outside and the deadbolt locked, Bianca turned back to Courtney with a grin. “That what you had in mind?” 

Courtney flung herself into Bianca’s arms, hugging her tightly. 

“Yes,” she answered, voice muffled in Bianca’s hair. She was so wrapped up in her perfume, in how soft and warm she was, that she didn’t notice until Bianca cleared her throat how awkwardly long the hug had been. She pulled back, swallowing. “Thank you. Sorry.”

“Sure thing,” Bianca said, voice uncharacteristically soft as she reached forward to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. 

The simple gesture made hair stand up on the back of Courtney’s neck, a delightful shiver running through her. She wondered briefly if it meant anything, anything more than just friendly affection, and surprised herself with the breathless hope that maybe it did. 

After another moment, Bianca’s voice returned to normal and she asked, “Wanna watch a movie?” 

Courtney’s shoulders sagged slightly with what she told herself was relief. Everything was normal. Bianca was just a good friend, helping her out with a tough situation. She smiled at her, nodding.

“I’ll make the popcorn.” 

***

Her roommate. Her fucking roommate.

Bianca knew she shouldn't be thinking about Courtney like that—at all—but it was too hard not to. It started off so innocently. Well, innocent enough. Just some playful, lighthearted flirting. Some silly games to entertain them both. She knew that Courtney was straight. She certainly wasn’t planning to ever, _ever_ make a move. 

But god, it was so hard to stop the runaway train of her mind once it started. 

This morning, in the kitchen, they’d been trying to stay quiet while Alaska slept, knowing she’d been up late studying. And Bianca made some stupid comment, some dumb joke that sent Courtney into fits of laughter. 

Seeing her hand clasped over her mouth, trying to keep quiet...it was so easy ( _too_ easy) to imagine her in that same pose for an altogether different reason. Instead, trying to muffle her moans, trying not to cry out Bianca’s name as she buried her face between Courtney’s legs. 

Her hand covering her mouth, unable to stifle the mewls and whimpers that filled the room no matter how hard she tried. 

When Bianca’s kitten licks turned more aggressive, her eyes would squeeze shut, chest heaving as Bianca made her come, arching and moaning, grinding against her tongue. And then, when she was dripping wet and gasping for air, Bianca would slide one finger inside, stroking her swollen g-spot until she was wracked with pleasure, tears rolling down her cheeks. Tears Bianca would kiss away, in the most embarrassing part of these daydreams. 

Sometimes Bianca imagined using a strap. Something similar to what she’d known before. But unlike a man, Bianca would be slow and controlled, tuned in to every subtle shift of her body. And Courtney would tremble and writhe beneath her, skin shimmering with sweat, golden hair spread out over the pillow like a halo, her fingers clawing at Bianca’s thighs as she tried to hold on just a little bit longer. 

Or maybe, maybe she’d want to ride Bianca, to be the one in charge. Eyes blazing with lust, thighs shaking as she tried valiantly to keep a steady pace. 

Bianca could see it perfectly. The way her perfect little tits would bounce with each thrust. The way her silky hair would tickle Bianca’s collarbones. The way she'd pant out Bianca's name every time their hips met, then finally lose her breath as she tipped over the edge for good, her glazed eyes shutting for just a moment as everything overwhelmed her.

When she closed her eyes, Bianca could see it all. Feel the warmth of Courtney’s ass in her hands. Smell her intoxicating scent, taste the sweetness of her skin... 

It didn’t matter that these fantasies were utterly preposterous. Bianca knew they would never happen. And knew also, that a girl as inexperienced as Courtney would be a pillow princess at best...but it didn’t stop her from pretending otherwise.

And the deeper Bianca dove into these elaborate fantasies, the harder it became to keep up the façade--the playful dynamic they’d established started to make her palms itch. Every sideways glance, every touch, was suddenly loaded with meaning. 

So Bianca tried to pull away. She really did. But it was no use. Even the casual hook-ups that she used to enjoy wholeheartedly started to feel dull and monotonous, devoid of excitement. 

Deep down, she’d probably known from the first day, how fucked up this whole situation was. How quickly and easily she’d fall. Problem was, she’d done absolutely nothing to stop it. 

And today, they were all at the beach (Courtney’s idea, of course, to soak up the nice weather while it lasted, before the days turned cold and dreary), and all Bianca could do was stare at the tantalizing arch of her back. Or at the dangling ties on the side of her bathing suit. Little navy blue strings that had begun unraveling. One gentle tug was all it would take…

“Bianca.” 

Bianca’s head snapped up, eyes wide. “What?” 

“I said ‘do you want to go in the water?’” Courtney giggled. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, no, I’m probably just gonna chill here with the Mummy.” She gestured to Alaska, under an umbrella and giant hat, covered in an ankle-length caftan, who stuck a tongue out at her. 

“I burn easily!” 

“I know, gringa, must be tough.” Bianca stretched out on her towel. 

“Alright, see you guys later then!” Courtney sang, as Willam pulled her along by the wrist. “Save us some snacks!” 

Bianca cleared her throat, conscience getting the better of her, and said, “Hey dollface! May want to fix the ties on your swimsuit before a big wave helps you flash your ass to all these nice families.” 

Courtney looked down, seeing the issue immediately and re-tying it in a secure double-knot, laughing. “Omigod, can you imagine?!” 

Bianca could imagine. 

She could imagine very much. 

She could imagine the bottoms sliding down as she emerged from the pounding surf, waves crashing around her. She could imagine ripping the rest of the flimsy fabric away, and pulling her into the wet sand. 

She could imagine the salty, ocean-fresh taste of her skin, the smell of coconut from her suntan lotion. The way the sand would feel against her knees as her tongue delved into Courtney’s pussy, the heat of her mouth a contrast to the icy water, making her shiver and arch up, handfuls of sand oozing through her white-knuckled fists. 

All of this was deeply, disturbingly easy to imagine as Courtney skipped into the water, sun glistening on her skin. 

Bianca was _fucked_. 

***

“Thank you for doing this,” Bianca said, as they walked down the hall to the laundry room. 

“Of course! It’s way more fun than doing laundry alone,” Courtney said. 

She wasn’t sure why, but she’d gotten a little bit of a thrill earlier, when Bianca asked if she wanted to put their clothes in together. The laundry room in their building was huge, machines nearly industrial-sized, and it was easy to do a bunch of loads at once. And Bianca, as organized and anal as she was, liked doing her laundry at least once a week. This week, she happened to not have enough for full loads of anything, so she asked Courtney if she wanted to combine their clothing—knowing that Courtney usually let her stuff pile up much longer and would have plenty to fill up the machines. 

Courtney skipped over to the dryers to check on the whites. Still a little damp, but a few T-shirts could be pulled out. 

“It would have felt so stupid to use 4 machines for less than half loads,” Bianca said, opening the dryer containing all their delicates and permanent press and dumping it into a basket. 

“I usually just wash everything together,” Courtney admitted, and Bianca paused, a hand on her heart. 

“Please don’t even tell me that,” she said dramatically, and after Courtney giggled, continued to set up the ironing board. 

“I can’t believe you actually iron,” Courtney said. She quickly and haphazardly folded her own T-shirts, then took her time to do Bianca’s carefully. “You’re such a grownup.” 

Bianca cackled at that, and Courtney grinned to herself. She loved the feeling she got when she made Bianca laugh. A warm, fuzzy feeling of pride and happiness. 

“I only iron my work clothes. I’m not ironing like...jeans and underwear.” 

“True,” Courtney said. 

After Bianca mentioned underwear, Courtney turned to the pile in the basket, extricating her own delicates. She didn’t have much, since most of her panties were cotton and could easily be tossed in with the regular colored clothes. As she pawed through the pile to make sure she had everything, a piece of forest green, lacy fabric caught her eye. 

Her eyes widened slightly. In the back of her mind, she’d always assumed that Bianca just bought that bra and panty set to mess with her. It was so _impractical_...Courtney wondered if she wore them often, or if there’d been some kind of special occasion. Had she been on a _date?_ And then her mind began to spin, images of what Bianca might look like in the sexy lingerie flashing through her head. 

“You alright there?” Bianca asked, and Courtney’s head snapped up. 

“Oh yeah,” she lied, mind racing to come up with an excuse for the dazed look on her face. “Yeah, I um, was confused because I have a bra this same color. But...” 

Courtney lifted a pale pink bra out of the pile, holding it against her chest. The cups were obviously far too big for her. She raised an eyebrow. 

“I don’t think this is mine,” she finished, lips pursed in mock confusion.

“Give me that!” Bianca laughed, snatching the bra from her hands. 

It wasn’t until later, when she was in the shower, that she allowed her mind to return to thoughts of Bianca. In those barely-there, lacy panties, which would definitely highlight the curve of her ass to perfection. 

Courtney sighed, letting her eyes roam freely over Bianca’s body in her head. Reaching forward to touch her smooth, warm skin. 

What would happen, Courtney wondered, if Bianca entered the bathroom right now? She shivered, soapy hands sliding down her body as she imagined her stepping into the steamy shower, pulling Courtney roughly to her chest. 

Courtney had never kissed a woman before. She’d seen Willam do it a couple of times, but usually Courtney suspected that it had more to do with attention from guys than any overwhelming sapphic desire. Of course, her recent kiss with Bianca had been more convincing, almost _too_ convincing, an image seared into Courtney’s brain no matter how much she tried to forget. 

But now...with one hand on the wall and the other angling the handheld shower nozzle lower and lower, she found herself completely immersed in a sordid fantasy. Bianca’s dark eyes fixated on hers, her hands sliding up the sides of Courtney’s ribcage. Her lips, so soft and plush, meeting Courtney’s in a passionate, dizzying kiss. 

She’d press Courtney to the wall, cool tiles against her back making her shiver as hot water cascaded down their bodies. One hand tangling into her hair, gripping the wet locks in her fist. And the other...fingertips trailing down her body, over her hardened nipples, finally coming to rest on her quivering thigh. Working her way in between Courtney’s legs as she continued to kiss her, to lavish her face and neck with attention. 

Courtney gripped the shower handle tighter, now so enmeshed in her fantasy that she could taste Bianca on her lips, feel the fingers stroking her faster and faster until she was nearly swooning. A whimper escaped her, thighs shaking as her heart raced, feeling herself dangerously close to the edge. All she needed now was one last…

_“COURTNEY!”_

The sound of Willam’s voice caused her to jump, shower handle slipping from her hand and clanging against the wall. 

“What?!” she called back, aware that her voice was beyond irritated. 

_“Hurry the fuck up, bitch!”_

“Just...fine, two more minutes!” Courtney called, fixing the shower handle and rushing to rinse the conditioner from her hair, a deep groan at the unsatisfactory ending to her little daydream. 

***

Bianca saved her paper, closing her laptop in a huff and dropping it on the sofa cushion beside her. She’d been working on it for weeks, and she was so close to being finished, but just couldn’t seem to find the exact references she needed. 

Courtney looked up from the floor, where she sat cross-legged at the coffee table painting her nails, an episode of _The Great British Bake-Off_ playing on the TV. 

“You alright?” she asked, capping the polish and blowing softly on her nails. 

“Yeah, I’m just annoyed,” Bianca told her. “I wish that you could just cite like...common sense.” 

“That would certainly make research papers easier,” Courtney giggled, gazing up at her, lashes fluttering. 

Bianca cleared her throat and shifted her attention to the TV, hoping that the wholesomeness of _Bake-Off_ would rub off on her a little. Maybe help prevent her from staring down Courtney’s top. 

It was getting harder and harder for Bianca to play off every flirty exchange with Courtney as a joke. Half the time, she felt like Courtney really was coming onto her—or at least daring her to do something, and the thought of it made Bianca feel like jumping out of her skin. And then the rest of the time, it seemed like that was just who Courtney was: innocently affectionate, a little flirtatious, someone who would lean a head on her shoulder or snuggle up to her side during a movie without any deeper meaning. But when she did, causing Bianca’s skin to prickle and heart to race, it always made her feel so wrong. 

“So, uh...what are they making today?”

“Celebration loaves,” Courtney announced, waving her fingers in the air, trying fruitlessly to speed along the drying. 

“Is that guy cooking organ meat?” Bianca asked, face contorted in disgust. 

“Yeah. Pretty gross, huh?” 

“Yeah. Ohhh no, he’s putting it in the food processor. Blech. That is not a celebration I want to be part of.”

“We can watch something else if you want,” Courtney giggled. “I was just using it as background noise.”

“Eh, it’s fine.” Bianca looked back down at her, dimples piercing her cheeks. 

They didn’t often find themselves alone in the apartment. But today was a holiday, so Bianca’s office was closed and classes were canceled. Of course, the stores were still open so Willam had convinced Alaska to join her at the mall. Bianca had too much work to do on her paper, but she wasn’t sure why Courtney hadn’t gone with them. 

So here they were. Bianca squirmed in her seat, unable to tear her eyes from Courtney’s, wondering what she was thinking. Green eyes fixed on Bianca’s as she continued to blow gently on her fingernails. 

After a few moments, Bianca broke the silence to ask, “So...why didn’t you join the mallrats today?” 

“Um, well I was originally planning to get some work done on my gender studies project. But…” 

“But it’s a little hard to get schoolwork done when you’re watching TV and painting your nails?” 

“Yeah,” Courtney laughed. “I mean, I have an outline. I know kind of what I want to say, but it’s...I don’t know. Missing something. A bit dry.” 

“What’s your topic?” 

“How the male gaze affects visual depictions of females in coming-of-age narratives targeted to children.” 

“Oof.” Bianca leaned back on the sofa cushions. 

“Yeah. Actually, let me ask you something, since you like women.” 

“Occasionally,” Bianca cracked. 

“Okay, um...do you remember as a kid, ever thinking that young women characters were like...hmm, sexually appealing is the wrong word, but-”

“Oh yeah,” Bianca said. “Definitely.” 

“Really?” Courtney asked, turning to face her. 

“Yeah like...okay I remember this one time, I was probably seven or so? I was talking to my cousins about what Disney princesses we want to be. And I said ‘Aladdin, so I can kiss Princess Jasmine.’”

Courtney laughed, charmed. 

“Did you really know you were gay that young?” 

“Nahh, that didn’t happen until...well, I guess I thought about it a little in junior high. But it clicked more in high school.” 

“So, did you have a girlfriend in high school?” Courtney asked, hugging her knees to her chest. 

“What does this have to do with your paper?” Bianca asked, suddenly suspicious, one eyebrow lifting. 

“Nothing! I’m just curious.” Courtney laid a cheek against her knee, those green eyes once again piercing into Bianca’s, turning her firm resolve to jelly. 

“Um...no. I didn’t really know other gay girls. So it was mostly just unrequited pining and a lot of self-loathing.” 

“Sounds fun,” Courtney commented wryly. 

“Oh yeah. A barrel of laughs. And then when I came out, I was just...terrified, that my friends would think I’d been like, eyeing them up for years. You know?” She stopped abruptly. What the fuck was wrong with her? Why was she sharing this information? Her abject fear at being seen as a predator, the fear that still stuck with her all these years later, was none of Courtney’s business. 

Courtney moved up to the couch, sitting beside her, a concerned hand on her knee. 

“Why would they think that?” she asked softly. “Did you...have feelings for any of them?” 

“Absolutely fucking not,” Bianca insisted, shifting away from her. “I’m just, you know, kind of a flirt and sometimes that gives people the wrong idea. So…” 

Bianca crossed her legs, hyper-aware of Courtney’s eyes on her, the pressing need for her to draw a clear line in the sand. 

“It’s stupid, actually, because the last thing I’d ever want is to hook up with a damn tourist.” 

“Tourist?”

“You know, someone who’s not really gay, just...a little bicurious. Looking to experiment and then move on.” 

“Well…” Courtney began, then stopped and took a slow breath, measuring her words. “People are allowed to experiment, right? Sometimes, it takes people longer to figure stuff out.”

“Yeah, true. And great. Good for them. But not with me. I’m looking for certified lesbians only.” 

“Come on,” Courtney laughed. “What about bi girls?” 

“Not interested. They need five years of experience, a resume, at least three recommendations…” 

“Bianca-”

“I’m serious. Experienced applicants only.” Bianca finished, clapping her hands together for emphasis, then adding, almost as an afterthought, “It’s not like I’m missing anything. Virgins aren’t good in bed.” 

Courtney seemed to bristle a little at this, and Bianca didn’t miss the rosy blush that had crept into her cheeks. Even more evidence of how important these boundaries were. 

“Everyone’s a virgin...until they aren’t anymore,” Courtney said tentatively. 

“Sure. Not my problem,” Bianca said, watching her shift and move away slightly. 

_Good._ Bianca swallowed, satisfied that she’d been crystal fucking clear. 

“So…” Courtney lightly tapped her nails, examining them closely as if to avoid eye contact, before saying, “Jasmine, huh?” 

Bianca burst out laughing, relieved and even a bit grateful at the broken tension, and hit her in the face with a throw pillow, making her squeal with laughter. 

***

Courtney tossed and turned in her bed, the early morning light already filtering in through the curtains, trying to get the most of the last hour before her alarm went off--and failing. She cracked open an eye and realized that Willam had left for the gym. 

She sighed, sitting up and rubbing her eyes, and catching a glimpse of a stack of polaroids on her desk. She reached forward to snatch them, settling back under the covers to sleepily peruse the photos, something she’d done quite frequently in the last few weeks. 

There was the picture of all four of them at a house party, and another one of her and Willam later that night acting like fools. One of Alaska giving her a piggyback ride on the way home. Then a few from their last day at the beach. Courtney paused, stopping on a picture of her and Bianca. 

Courtney was kneeling behind her, one arm around her shoulders and a hand shading both of their eyes from the bright sun. Bianca smirked at the camera, dimples barely visible, hair loose and wavier than normal. Courtney touched the image with her finger, feeling a bit stupid, but unable to help herself. 

Her bathing suit was subtly sexy in that typical Bianca way...a dark, rich purple one-piece, almost modest except for the plunging neckline, halter tied around her neck. 

Courtney had maybe spent too much time staring at that picture. At the way her tits looked in that bathing suit. She sighed, dropping the photos onto the bedspread and leaning back against the pillows, eyes falling shut. 

The picture didn’t do her justice, anyway. It didn’t show how perfectly round and firm they were. How, in some of her silky work blouses and in certain bras, you could see the darkness of her nipples, even the slight protrusion. 

And of course, the picture was from the waist up, so you couldn’t see her thighs, which might be the best part of her body. Courtney still remembered how her eyes kept drifting downwards while they ate lunch. At one point, she was pretty sure Alaska had clocked her staring, and her cheeks had gone bright pink, pulse racing at the idea that anyone could read the sordid thoughts in her head. 

As Courtney remembered all of that, she suddenly realized that her hand had made its way down her pajama bottoms, fingers rubbing her clit in light circles. The thought of Bianca being a few thin walls away while she did this made it thrilling in a way Courtney couldn’t explain. Her stomach twisted, body aching with need, fingers moving faster and faster, her other hand up under her shirt, pinching at her nipples. 

Soon, it wasn’t enough, and she flipped over, fucking down into her fingers, face buried in her pillow. When that didn’t work, she shifted to grind against the heel of her hand, hoping that gravity would assist in moving things along. She let out a muffled groan, frustrated with her inability to tip over. 

Because all she could think was how much better it would be if Bianca was the one touching her, how the desire to be close to her was turning into an obsession that she couldn’t shake, even if she knew it would never happen. 

She finally just gave up altogether, curling into a tight ball with a shameful whimper, wishing things were different. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the next chapter in this series, please [click here!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27100924/chapters/67999762) <3


	4. Ladies Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A girls’ night at the local gay club just might change everything. With Special Guest Star Adore Delano.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the companion story to “No Strings Attached.” Both ships are in both stories, but generally, “No Strings Attached” is Willaska-focused and this one is Bitney-focused.  
> 

Courtney really couldn’t figure out why she was so anxious. She hung out with gay people every day. Why was a gay bar so intimidating, so much that her stomach was in knots? She supposed the idea of looking or feeling out of place was a bit disconcerting, as she’d explained to Willam earlier when they were getting ready, before Willam had tossed a dress at her face and ordered her to calm down. Now, she sat squished between Willam and Alaska in the back of the uber, leg bouncing nervously until Willam gave her thigh a pinch. 

But once they got there, her nerves settled almost immediately. It was a lively, crowded club—flashing lights and thumping bass, people packed onto the dance floor. Easy to blend in; nothing to be afraid of.

And then, to her delight, a live band took the stage. (Bianca and Willam, on the other hand, weren’t so happy about that, groaning and taking the opportunity to get drinks for the group.)

The lead singer was amazing. A sultry voice, with full lips and hazel eyes, dark hair dyed a vivid emerald green. Even her name was sexy. _Adore._

Courtney was enchanted, watching in breathless excitement throughout her whole first set, barely noticing when Willam slipped a drink into her hand. When they paused for a break, she turned to the others, eyes wide. 

“Omigod, she was amazing! Wasn’t she amazing?” Courtney gushed. 

“Yeah, she was really good,” Alaska agreed, an amused look on her face. 

“We should find out if they play here often!” Courtney continued. “I mean, she’s totally worth coming back for, right? I mean they. The whole band.” 

Courtney barely had time to blush at that, turning back to the stage to wait in anticipation for the next set, pretending that she didn’t notice Willam and Bianca rolling their eyes like slot machines. If they wanted to be killjoys, that was fine. Courtney was still going to enjoy the music. 

The band did another short set—too short, if you asked Courtney, who felt like Adore’s eyes were boring right into her soul at one point. She watched her, absolutely transfixed, letting Adore’s smoky voice wash over her in tingling waves. When they were done, Courtney cheered loudly as Adore gave an awkward little bow. She was incredibly talented, but clearly a little insecure, and it made Courtney’s heart go soft and fluttery. 

“Finally,” Willam said, as the DJ took over again. “Now we can dance!” 

She dragged the girls into the dance floor, and they followed, laughing. After a song or two (honestly, Courtney couldn’t keep track—unlike Adore’s band, all the thumping house music sounded the same to her), she noticed that Bianca had slipped away, probably to get a drink. She decided to go and join her at the bar, get another drink herself. 

But as she made her way towards the bar, she saw that Bianca hadn’t made it that far. She stood at a cocktail table, just past the dance floor. She was in the midst of what seemed like a riveting conversation with an unfamiliar girl. A busty redhead in a flower crown, leaning in with a hand on Bianca’s arm. Whatever she whispered was apparently hilarious, because Bianca burst out laughing. 

Courtney wrinkled her nose, feeling a bit offended. They were supposed to be having a fun night out together. Girl bonding and all that nonsense. So why Bianca decided to chat up this random girl was beyond her. She kept walking to the bar, sure that Bianca hadn’t even noticed her. Not when she had such a clearly _experienced_ girl in front of her, Courtney thought bitterly. 

As she tried to wedge her way through the crowd to get the bartender’s attention, Courtney felt her heart stall for just a moment when she spotted Adore at the opposite end of the counter, ordering a drink of her own.

It was only when Adore’s eyes shifted in her direction that she became all too aware that she was staring. Shell-shocked, she couldn’t bring herself to look away. She was certain she had a deer-in-headlights expression on her face but her body felt paralyzed, unable to even form a small smile, just something to make her seem like less of a total creeper.

A knowing smirk appeared on Adore’s perfect red lips and soon a little wink was sent Courtney’s way. 

She cast her eyes down in embarrassment, pretending to be deeply interested in the grain of the wood on the bar, when by some miraculous chance, the bartender turned her way. 

“What can I get you, sis?” 

“Oh, uh...gin and tonic with lime?” 

He nodded, and only then did Courtney realize that the arm sliding in beside her belonged to Adore, the chipped black nail polish and fingerless gloves a dead giveaway. She looked up, meeting her piercing hazel eyes and this time, managing a small smile. 

“Hey,” Adore said.

“Hi,” Courtney replied breathlessly. “You were amazing tonight. I wasn’t expecting-um, to see such a great performance. I know these places usually just use DJs all the time. But it was really so good...”

Realizing that she was babbling, Courtney clamped her mouth shut. 

“Are you British?” Adore asked, head tilted. 

“No, Australian.” 

“Ahh. I love girls with accents,” Adore remarked, taking a swig of her beer. 

“I mean, technically, we all have accents,” Courtney couldn’t help correcting, cringing inwardly at how basic and bratty she must have sounded. 

But Adore simply laughed, a throaty laugh that Courtney found lovely. Once again, the bartender had perfect timing, sliding her drink over to her. A welcome distraction from her awkward babbling. She pulled a card from her little purse, but Adore stopped her, covering Courtney’s hand with her own.

“Put her drink on my tab,” Adore told him, and Courtney was grateful for the dim lighting that masked her hot red cheeks. 

“Thanks,” she said softly, barely audible over the pounding music. 

“Don’t worry about it, cutie,” Adore assured as she leaned in with an inviting smile on her lips, “Just tell me your name and we’ll call it even.”

A sense of familiarity washed over Courtney as she vaguely recalled the number of times men had tried similar lines with her. Back then it always felt cliché or just mildly pathetic yet when those words fell from Adore’s lips? Plump, cherry-red lips that Courtney couldn’t keep her eyes off of?

It was strangely appealing this time around.

“Courtney.”

“Courtney,” Adore repeated, imitating her accent, lips curling around the syllables in a way that made Courtney shiver. “Do you like shots, Courtney?” 

“Mmm...when they’re sweet?” 

Adore grinned again, ordering two lemon drops. While the bartender got to work, Adore draped an arm across Courtney’s shoulders. 

“So...I haven’t seen you here before. Are you new to the area?”

“No, I’ve lived here for a couple of years,” Courtney told her, adding coyly, “It’s just...my first time here. Tonight.” 

“Mmm.” Adore handed her a shot, toasting her gently. “To first times.”

“Cheers.” 

They tossed back the shots, giggling. 

“So, uh, I have a confession to make,” Adore said. 

Courtney turned toward her curiously, causing her arm to slide off her shoulders. But instead of removing it all the way, Adore merely adjusted, fingers sliding across her shoulder blades, making her shiver. 

“When I was singing...I uh, kind of noticed you.” 

“You did?” Courtney’s eyes grew, the idea of Adore picking her out of the crowd giving her a thrill. 

“Yeah. Couldn’t you tell? I was singing right to you.” 

“I assumed everyone thought you were singing to them,” Courtney said, twirling a lock of hair in her hand as Adore slowly shook her head. “Well...I’m flattered.” 

Mustering up every bit of false bravado she could, Courtney offered a confident smile, practically daring Adore to make another move. Time seemed to slow down as Adore put one finger under her chin, tilting her face up, then leaning in, eyes falling shut…

***

What the fuck was she _doing?_

Bianca spotted her immediately from across the bar. Flirting with that random green-haired singer, the one with the stupid name... _Adore_...gazing up at her as if she was the best thing since sliced fucking bread. It was strangely unsettling, seeing her act that way, and Bianca wondered how much she’d had to drink. _Better keep an eye on her...just to make sure she’s okay._

She was about halfway through her own drink when she chanced to look away for just a moment to see if her other roommates could be spotted somewhere in the mass of people still crowding the dance floor. Failing that, she turned her attention back to Courtney to find Adore tilting her chin up and hovering only an inch or two above her lips.

Bianca damn near marched herself right over but in less than a second, Courtney closed that gap herself and almost instantly the pair was making out at the bar for everyone to see. Her jaw actually dropped at the sight and not too far behind it, so did her stomach.

It was awful watching Courtney kiss someone else, even worse knowing that Courtney had initiated it herself and Bianca was left to watch it all in a helpless, paralyzed state of shock. She couldn’t tear her eyes away for anything, no matter how much she wanted to. No, instead her focus remained zeroed in on Courtney, until, to her sick relief, they finally broke apart.

There was dark red lipstick smudged overtop Courtney’s own light pink but that was only a thin thought in Bianca’s mind. What caught her attention was that glassy, hazy look in Courtney’s eyes. One Bianca had come to recognize as she spent more time in bars in the late hours of the night.

_Shit._

Not that Adore seemed to have any qualms about that fact—if she’d even noticed, that is. Even from the distance Bianca kept, she could see that smug smirk on her stupid face, particularly as her head jutted in the direction of the bathrooms.

Courtney’s response was delayed, as if she were trying to figure out what Adore was trying to imply, but to Bianca’s dread there was a distracted nod of the head and soon the two disappeared into the depths of the crowd.

Well, not if Bianca could help it.

Downing the rest of her drink and slapping some money onto the counter, she bolted from the bar and followed after those drunken idiots like a woman on a mission. 

***

The thing that struck Courtney about Adore, more than anything, was how _normal_ it felt to be with her. The ritual of a few flirtatious smiles and heated looks, some light touching to feel out the temperature. 

She missed this simplicity, she realized. The obvious mutual attraction, the flirting with the intent of pursuit...basking in the simple knowledge that she was wanted.

There was no second-guessing, no wondering if it was just a long-winded joke or worrying that it would be called off in just a minute or two.

It was like returning home after a long vacation and finding everything still in the same place as you left it...it was just...comfortable.

Even kissing her...it felt easy and natural and fun. So when Adore suggested that they move from the bar to a location more private, she’d been delighted to follow her. 

In the bathroom, Adore pressed her up against the sink, plush lips kissing her deeply, as if to devour her, wandering hands making Courtney’s heart race with excitement. They were so caught up in one another that they didn’t even notice someone else had entered the room until Bianca quite loudly cleared her throat, heels clacking on the tile floor as she approached. 

When Courtney raised her eyes and spotted the intruder, her stomach dropped straight to her feet and she gasped softly. Bianca’s arms were crossed in front of her chest as she glowered deep into Courtney’s soul, filling her with shame. She gulped, fingers untangling from Adore’s messy green waves to wipe her sweaty palms on her sides. 

“Hi Bianca,” she said, offering a sheepish smile. 

Seemingly unconcerned with the new development, Adore moved her attention from Courtney’s lips down to her neck. Grazing her lips along the skin, there was just a hint of a mocking undertone as she asked, “Girlfriend?”

Feeling her cheeks flush from both Adore’s brazen gesture and the judgemental arching of Bianca’s brow, Courtney was forced to admit as her mouth went dry with embarrassment, “Um, no...roommate.”

“Ah,” Adore murmured between the series of light kisses she’d been placing along the expanse of Courtney’s neck. She was acting rather nonchalant, as if this weren’t the first time she’d been caught in such a situation. In fact, she seemed quite comfortable right now, almost pleased by the turn of events. Nuzzling into Courtney’s neck with her soft cheek, Adore shifted her gaze to Bianca and asked teasingly, “So, you watching or joining?”

Courtney’s laugh was immediate and loud. She was all but cackling at the question but Bianca looked far from amused. Courtney clapped a hand over her mouth as Bianca answered through gritted teeth. 

A simple, disgusted, “Neither.”

Brushing off the reaction, Adore resumed marking Courtney’s throat with her lipstick. Her hands, which had been resting on Courtney’s hips, moved down to her thighs, finding the hem of her dress and working their way inside. 

Courtney wasn’t sure if the rapid pounding of her heart was from Adore’s fingers, now tracing the edge of her panties, or from Bianca’s continued harsh glare, eyes black as midnight as she spat out, “I think you’ve had enough. Let’s go.” 

“I don’t want to go,” Courtney replied, voice sounding small and petulant. 

“Courtney…” Bianca’s voice was tense, almost a growl. “I’m just trying to look out for you, okay? You’re drunk. You need to come home.” 

“Dude…” Adore turned her head toward Bianca, brow furrowed. “Are you her roommate or her mother?” 

Courtney bit the interior of her bottom lip as she tried to think of something to say. Her hands slipped from Adore’s hair and landed on her shoulders, but whether that was for comfort's sake or to push her away, it was hard to say. She felt small and unjustifiably guilty as she remained trapped between Adore’s warm body and Bianca’s harsh, unhappy scowl.

Truth be told, she didn’t feel very drunk at all. Certainly not enough to be escorted home like a child. But something about Bianca trying to protect her, even in the cold and disapproving way she was doing it, softened her desire to be defiant. And wasn’t that what she wanted all along anyway? To spend some quality time with her roommate? 

“Well?” Bianca snapped. “Are you coming or not?” 

It was her tone, more than anything, that made Courtney’s decision for her. Maybe Courtney was being stupid and irresponsible. But she was also an adult who was having fun, and Bianca had no right to judge her and scold her like that. Hell, her own mum had let her traipse off to a new continent for university without the slightest bit of concern. So why on earth did Bianca think she could intimidate her into cutting a great night short? 

“Nah,” Courtney said simply, eyes narrowing slightly as she stared Bianca down. She felt Adore smile into her skin, teeth grazing her neck. 

Bianca watched her for a few more moments, expression hard as stone, before turning on her heel with a scoff and storming from the bathroom in a fit of anger. 

Courtney turned back to Adore, capturing her lips in a deep, messy kiss, adamant to keep enjoying herself. 

But after all that, her heart wasn’t in it anymore. No matter what she did, all she could see were Bianca’s angry eyes flashing in the dim light. Even the sweet taste of Adore’s lip gloss turned bitter in her mouth. She pulled back, struggling to catch her breath, surprised and embarrassed to find tears trickling down her cheeks. 

“Shit, are you okay?” Adore asked. She grabbed a bunch of paper towels, running them under the water and handing them over. 

“Yeah, I’m sorry.” Courtney sniffled, wiping her eyes. “It’s not you, I don’t know why I’m…”

After studying her for a few moments, Adore ventured softly, “You like her, huh?” 

Courtney bit her lip. Was she really gonna admit it, out loud? She’d barely admitted it to herself yet. But in a way, this was probably the safest place to do it. After all, Adore didn’t know her, or Bianca, or any of their friends. 

She nodded, whispering, “Yeah.” 

Confessing felt better than she thought it would. Cleansing. 

“I guess I have for awhile, but I just...I don’t think she feels the same way.” 

Adore laughed at that. Almost too hard, and for a second Courtney felt the indignation rising in her chest. Until Adore leveled her gaze back down at Courtney and said definitively, “Yeah, she does. She absolutely does. I would literally bet my mom’s life on it. And like, I _love_ my mom.” 

“Why do you...think that?” Courtney asked, a surge of hope running through her. 

“Because, she barreled in here like a jealous girlfriend. And that whole thing about you being too drunk? We had one shot. And you had a couple sips of a cocktail. You’re fucking fine.” 

Courtney had to admit that Adore had a point. But what about all of the times Bianca had made it clear that she wasn’t interested? Her shoulders slumped. 

“I don’t know what to do,” she admitted. 

“Look, she’s obviously a bit of an idiot, for making you feel bad and doubt yourself instead of just telling you how she feels. So you’re probably gonna have to be the one to bring it up,” Adore said. “I mean, I assume. Maybe she’s a _gigantic_ idiot who will deny it even after that. Only one way to find out.” 

Courtney nodded, still not quite sure that Adore was right. Bianca had spent so much time adamantly stating why she would never want to be with someone like her. Someone inexperienced. And she had to know how Courtney felt. She _had_ to. So if she felt the same way, why would she have done that? 

Either way, Courtney knew that her fun in the club was over for the night. She gave Adore a hug and started making her way back through the club, checking the bar, the back room with the pool tables, the booths along the side. She spotted Willam and Alaska on the dance floor, oblivious to the drama, and decided to leave them be. But where was Bianca? 

She stepped outside, into the cool night air, pulling out her phone. Only then did she see the brief message in their group text. 

_B: Tired, on my way home._

Courtney heaved a deep sigh, tears filling her eyes once again. She had no desire to return to the dance floor with Willam and Alaska; in that moment, she felt overwhelmingly alone. 

“Hey,” a voice said, and she looked up to find Adore standing behind her, cigarette in hand. “No luck?” 

Courtney shook her head, brushing the tears away with the back of her hand. 

“Well, I’m about to take off. Do you want a ride?” 

“You’re driving?!” 

“No! I mean like share my uber. I might be a little drunk, but I’m not a moron.”

“Oh. Thanks.” Courtney smiled. 

In the car, Adore put her number into Courtney’s phone, instructing her to text the next day with a full report. 

“So listen...she didn’t seem that stupid to me,” Adore said. “But if it turns out that she’s a huge, giant idiot? Then I owe you lunch.” 

“Deal,” Courtney agreed with a laugh, already feeling a bit better about the whole thing. 

***

Very softly, just in case Bianca was in fact asleep by now, Courtney pushed open her bedroom door and peered inside. It was dark and Bianca’s form was perfectly visible lying beneath the sheets but it was impossible to tell if she was awake or not. Thinking it best just to leave things alone for now, Courtney started to back away until she heard a gruff, “What?”

“You’re awake?” she asked stupidly.

“Clearly,” Bianca replied, undoubtedly rolling her eyes as she sat up. “What do you want?”

“I...Can we talk for a minute? About the club.”

Bianca was silent for a moment, eyeing Courtney up and down as if searching for something. With each passing second it seemed more and more likely that she’d refuse but to Courtney’s relief, she relented with an unfriendly, “Fine. Make it quick.”

Swallowing back her nerves and clumsily flipping the light switch, Courtney began with an apologetic, “I’m sorry you walked in on that. Probably not what you were-"

“I had an idea,” Bianca interjected with a little huff, “Saw that show of yours at the bar. Everyone saw.”

The tone stung. More than Courtney wanted to admit and more than she allowed to show. But if Bianca’s intent was to get her angry too, she failed. Courtney knew coming into this that she had to stay level-headed and no matter how good it might feel in the moment just to vent out her frustrations and storm off, it’d only end up doing more damage later on. Instead, she took a moment to collect herself, taking in a calming breath to clear her clouding mind and began reproachfully. 

“If you knew, why did you-” As the words fell from her mouth something occurred to her. Bianca’s eyes had hardened and her lips pressed into a tense line as she bit back more of what she wanted to say. It was in that moment that everything clicked and Courtney felt a wave of clarity washing over her. “You wanted to interrupt,” she accused. 

Her head was spinning with questions but she knew she was right the second Bianca flinched. She was glaring at Courtney, almost as if trying to intimidate her into giving up this line of questioning, but after a short pause, Courtney was shocked to hear a firm confirmation of, “Yes.”

Exasperated, Courtney demanded to know, “Wha-Why?”

There was another delay in response but what exactly for, Courtney could only hazard a guess. Bianca’s glare had yet to lighten as her eyes bore deep into Courtney’s soul. Her voice was cold and nearly emotionless as she stated, “You were drunk.”

“I wasn’t. But I _was_ having fun.”

A flash of something appeared on Bianca’s face but in an instant it was gone. It was too quick for Courtney to recognize what it was but she knew she had seen it. She had to convince Bianca to be honest with her, even if it was uncomfortable.

Slowly crossing the room, clearly not trusting her own shaky legs any more than she had to, Courtney sat on the edge of Bianca’s bed. She ignored the way Bianca leaned away from her as if she didn’t care. She understood all too well by now that this whole act just wasn’t the Bianca she knew. It was just a front for something else and she had to find out what. 

“Bianca,” she inquired gently, “Why'd you want to ruin that?” 

There was no answer, only a judgemental glare as Bianca remained silent and stared her down. But Courtney refused to let this go. She knew she was close to some kind of answer and nothing was going to deter her from that. 

Daring to place her hand over one of Bianca’s, she again asked, “B? Talk to me. You can tell me anything, I promise.”

There was a roll of Bianca’s eyes as she scoffed at the statement. It hurt but not enough to push Courtney away or weaken any of her resolve. All she did was wait patiently, running her thumb against Bianca’s until she got a response. Just some kind of answer to explain Bianca’s behavior. 

And finally, after a few moments, Bianca relented enough to give an unwilling and rather confusing reply of, “Cause it shouldn't have been like that.”

Tilting her head just slightly, Courtney probed for more of an explanation and it was there that Bianca’s restraint finally ran out. 

In one long huff, she blurted out, “Okay, fine! You wanna fuck a girl? Go right ahead, I don’t care. Hell, go fuck a hundred girls if that's what you want! But damn it, Courtney...your first time, it shouldn’t be some drunken hookup in the bathroom of a sketchy-ass nightclub. You know that,” she stressed. Her eyes finally grew soft as she admitted, “You deserve better than that, you know?”

Quickly defending herself, Courtney began with, “Well, she offered to-” then thinking better of it, she soon cut herself off. “Um...yeah...I guess I get what you’re saying.”

Darting her eyes away for a moment, Bianca reluctantly added, “I wasn’t sure how much you drank with her...And maybe I misjudged that. But like, I didn't want you regretting it tomorrow morning, okay? You’re not like Willam. This kind of shit means more to you.”

Though she wasn’t sure she agreed with Bianca on everything, she was still touched by the reasoning. Bianca _was_ just trying to look out for her, it seemed. She went about it horribly but the intentions were good. Giving her roommate a grateful smile, she murmured, “Thanks,” and pulled her in for a tight hug. 

At first, Bianca froze at the gesture but in just a second, she recovered and returned the embrace. A soft sigh was released into the air but even still, she just couldn’t let herself feel entirely relaxed. She had so many questions left on her mind but none of them she felt comfortable asking...even after this tentative truce.

*

Bianca pulled away from the hug to look into Courtney’s face, one burning question she just had to know. 

Without daring to look directly into Courtney’s eyes, she carefully asked, “So...uh...did you two…?” 

It took Courtney a second to catch on to Bianca’s train of thought but once she had, she gave a slow shake of her head. Instantly it felt like a weight had dropped from Bianca’s shoulders and she could truly relax. A large part of her felt immense relief at the answer but another small part was beating herself up for it. 

Regardless, Bianca wasn’t going to press for any more answers, so she let this particular conversation die with a soft acknowledgment of, “Okay.” 

“I couldn’t really have fun after you fucking blew your top,” Courtney said. 

“Oh...sorry.” A smile began to grow on Bianca’s lips and the longer she looked at Courtney, the bigger it got. 

Seemingly confused by the sudden shift in attitude, Courtney let out a small, laughing, “What?”

“You got some serious clown mouth going on,” Bianca told her, her grin now barely contained, “Looks like you were fucking making out with Pennywise.”

“Shut up!” Courtney squealed, giving her a playful shove to the arm.

Trying her best to keep herself from fully laughing, Bianca slipped out from her bed, shaking her head as she muttered, “Hold on.” She immediately made her towards the bathroom caddy she left on the corner of her desk. After rifling through it for a minute, she found her makeup wipes and returned to Courtney’s side. Holding out the jar with a slight smirk, she teased, “Can't take you seriously with that mess.”

Rolling her eyes, Courtney snatched up the wipes and made quick work of running them over every inch of her ruined makeup. Giving Bianca a patient smile, asked sarcastically, “Better?”

Shaking her head once more, Bianca pulled out a wipe of her own and muttered distractedly, “Fucking Christ. All over your fucking neck, too.” 

She leaned in close with it and began gently running the cloth pad over the expanse of Courtney’s skin. She ignored the tense swallow beneath her fingers and focused instead on removing every last bit of cherry red lipstick she could find. The position felt oddly intimate, especially with the way Courtney watched her with curious, considering eyes. 

Trying to distract herself and Courtney from this suddenly awkward moment, she commented, “You sure that bitch wasn't trying to suck your blood out or something?”

A snorting laugh ripped through Courtney’s body as she pulled away just slightly. Finishing her work, Bianca stepped back and moved to discard the soiled wipes. When she turned around from the trash can, she found Courtney spread out across most of her bed and damn near cuddling into the sheets.

She looked to be enjoying herself, at least, as she all but rolled around and wrapped herself up in the bedding. Noticing Bianca’s amused grin and arched brow, Courtney defended herself with a sincere, “Your bed’s really comfy.”

“It’s the same hand-me-down mattress you have, Court,” she pointed out, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes.

Courtney’s smile stretched just a little wider as she relented with a dreamy, “Your sheets, then, dingus...They’re soft and silky.”

“I know,” Bianca retorted, poking her roommate lightly in the arm, “That’s why I got them.”

Ignoring the feeble attempt to annoy her or get her to move, Courtney simply nuzzled further into the sheets and affirmed sleepily, “Comfy.”

“Oh, my God,” Bianca muttered in an amused state of disbelief. She could see she wasn’t winning this without a fight and far too tired for any of that, she merely gave in and asked, “You want to sleep here tonight?”

Courtney tilted her face up towards Bianca, catching her gaze with heavy-lidded eyes and saying softly, “Is that okay? You’re not still mad at me?” 

“No, I’m not mad. But...you’re gonna sleep in that?” Bianca inquired skeptically, gesturing to Courtney’s dress. 

There was a half-hearted shrug of the shoulders but ultimately Courtney seemed unbothered at the prospect of sleeping in the skimpy sequined number she had borrowed from Willam. Rolling her eyes once more, Bianca withdrew from the bed in order to retrieve an oversized, worn-out Mardi Gras T-shirt from her dresser. 

Carelessly tossing it onto Courtney’s face, she grumbled, “Here.”

With great effort, Courtney pushed herself into sitting upright just enough to remove the flashy dress, flinging it to the floor to replace it with the T-shirt. 

“Want shorts or anything?” Bianca asked quietly, averting her eyes.

“This is fine,” Courtney assured her even as she struggled to keep her eyes open. Holding aside the blankets, she murmured, “Come cuddle.” 

Bianca switched off the lights and worked her way between the sheets. She barely had time to properly settle down before a very soft body was pressed up next to hers. Burying her face into the pillow just inches away from Bianca’s neck, Courtney gave a partially muffled reasoning of, “Warmer over here.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Bianca teased lightly, even as she slipped her arm around Courtney and pulled her in just a little closer. “Come here, you fucking brat.”

Courtney giggled, snuggling against her, lips grazing Bianca’s neck, near her ear, sending a shiver down Bianca’s spine. On purpose? Bianca couldn’t be sure, but she cleared her throat and turned her head away slightly. 

“Bianca?” Courtney whispered, breath warm against her, fingers wrapped around her waist. 

Bianca should have realized the danger of sleeping intertwined like this. She hesitated for a moment before grunting out, “What?” 

“Um…” Courtney giggled again, letting out a sigh, and Bianca relaxed, realizing that her lack of boundaries probably had more to do with residual drunkenness than anything else. 

“Goodnight, Court,” she said definitively. 

“Night, B,” Courtney whispered. 

The night’s exhaustion coupled with alcohol made Bianca fall asleep quickly. Unfortunately, she didn’t stay that way for long. Some time later, she was roused by Alaska stumbling around. Her bedding was bunched up in her hands, just barely visible in the moonlight. Odd, Bianca thought.

“Hey,” she called out into the semi-dark room. 

Alaska twitched at the sound of her voice, offering an awkward excuse of, “Hey, uh, sorry, I’m just grabbing some shit and then I’ll get out of here-” 

Confused, Bianca shifted around to get a better look at her roommate and inquired, “Why? Where are you going-” 

“I mean, you’re obviously in the middle of some-” Alaska hurriedly interjected, sparing a quick glance to Courtney’s oblivious sleeping form. 

Of _course_ she had the wrong idea, Bianca quickly realized. Shaking her head, she tried to explain the situation, “No, it’s nothing like that! We were just talking and she fell asleep. You really don’t have to go, my guess is that she’ll be passed out until noon.” 

But as Bianca spoke, Courtney began shifting in her sleep. Her arms tightened, unwilling to lose their most comfortable source of heat, and a soft little sigh echoed into Bianca’s ear.

The pair of roommates stared at each for a moment in total silence, until Alaska’s resolve broke and she made her way towards the door. As she slipped past the door frame, Bianca heard her mumbling, “Yeah, it’s cool. I’ll just sleep on the couch.” 

She tried calling out for her roommate but it was all in vain. In mere seconds the door was shut again.

“Whatever,” Bianca grumbled, settling back comfortably beneath the sheets. She’d tried to explain; it wasn’t her fault Alaska refused to listen. She’d just have to try again tomorrow and maybe then she’d have some better luck in clearing up whatever misconception still lingered in Alaska’s mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the next chapter in this series, simply click next chapter! ;)


	5. Come to Jesus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Courtney obsesses about the previous night, and finally demands some real answers from Bianca. (With a brief cameo from Shea as the Lesbian Whisperer.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the companion story to “No Strings Attached.” Both ships are in both stories, but generally, “No Strings Attached” is Willaska-focused and this one is Bitney-focused.  
> 

Courtney stirred, rolling into the scent of Bianca’s shampoo on the pillow, eyes fluttering open. She blinked, slightly confused, before realizing that she was in the bed alone. Sitting up on her elbows, she saw Bianca at her desk, hunched over a textbook with a highlighter, black-framed glasses on her face, reddish-brown hair pulled into a messy bun. Courtney smiled slightly; as beautiful as she found Bianca when she was dolled up and looking like a million bucks, there was always something sweet and comforting about seeing her like that.

“Hi,” Courtney said, biting her lip. 

“Hey.” Bianca barely glanced her way, turning a page in her textbook. 

“Did you sleep okay?”

“Yup.” 

Courtney cleared her throat, suddenly self-conscious, becoming more and more aware of the fact that Bianca clearly didn’t want to talk. She thought, the night before, that they’d finally made some progress. That they were finally a small step closer to becoming...whatever they were supposed to. 

But now, in the harsh light of day, she wasn’t so sure. After a few more moments of awkward silence, Courtney got the hint, swinging her legs off the side of the bed and gathering up her dress, shoes, and bag. 

“Um...I’ll wash your T-shirt and get it back to you-”

“Thanks.” 

Courtney let out a little sigh and exited, crossing through the living room, startled by Alaska’s voice saying, “Morning,” from the sofa. 

“Lasky!” Courtney exclaimed, surprised. “Did you sleep here?” 

“Yeah,” came the quiet, drawn-out reply. “I didn’t want to intrude on whatever...you guys had going on.”

Eyes widening in sympathy and guilt, Courtney rushed over to the couch to apologize. 

“Oh no, I’m so sorry!” she cried, flinging herself onto the couch. 

“It’s okay,” Alaska assured her with a remarkably sincere smile before inquiring, “How’d you sleep? It’s so hard to imagine Bianca being all cuddly.” 

Feeling her cheeks beginning to grow warm, Courtney glanced away with a soft smile as she mentioned vaguely, “She was alright.” Then thinking better of it, added in a rushed, “Nothing happened, by the way.” 

“Uh huh. That’s what she said,” Alaska said with an indulgent nod, then admitted slyly, “I didn’t really believe her, though.” 

Cocking her head to the side, Courtney asked, “Do you believe me? Because nothing…” she forced herself to repeat, trying not to sound bitter, “ _nothing_ happened.”

It wasn’t just the “nothing happening” that made Courtney feel frustrated. It was also how easily she’d chickened out and let Bianca off the hook the second she’d realized that she wasn’t angry. She was so relieved that things were okay between them that she’d stopped pressing her for any real answers. And this morning, it seemed like her window for any kind of honesty had slammed shut. Bianca’s walls were up once again, and maybe they always would be. 

“It honestly doesn’t matter what I believe,” Alaska informed her, tucking a stray bit of hair behind her ear. She plastered on a reassuring smile as she stressed, “As long as you’re good.”

“I’m good,” Courtney affirmed just a little too loudly and quickly. “I just feel so bad that you had to crash out here. You could have had your bed. Or my bed!”

“It’s fine,” Alaska laughed. “Besides, there’s never any way of telling what kind of creature Willam’s gonna bring home from the club.”

Giggling away at the light jab, Courtney agreed, “That’s true…” Still, her guilt persisted despite the attempt at deflection and she had to backtrack, “Anyway...I’m sorry.” 

A hint of sadness tinged Alaska’s voice as she shook her head and admitted with a rueful grin, “It’s really fine, I promise. Sleeping on the couch is not the worst thing that happened to me last night. Not by a longshot.” 

The statement caught Courtney’s attention immediately but before she even had the presence of mind to question her further, the sound of her and Willam’s bedroom door being opened pulled her focus away from Alaska. In an undeniable state of anger, Willam marched straight from the bedroom towards the bathroom, all but slamming that door shut to boot.

As if to confirm Courtney’s growing suspicions of a falling out, Alaska immediately brought a hand to her head and let her shoulders sink in defeat. Clearly something unpleasant had happened at the club. 

Placing a consoling hand to her roommate’s shoulder, Courtney carefully inquired, “Are you okay?” When no response came, her voice dipped even softer as she asked, “Did something happen? Do you need to talk-”

Straightening her slumped shoulders and slapping on a shaky smile, Alaska attempted to ease her concerns. “No no, don’t worry. I’m just being dramatic.” 

Though far from convinced, Courtney knew it’d be best not to press the conversation any further. Nodding her head, she gave an agreeable, “Okay,” and let the topic drop. Before she left Alaska alone however, she pulled her in for a tight, comforting squeeze and assured her, “I’m here if you change your mind.”

She received a grateful nod of the head, but other than that, Alaska gave no indication she would take Courtney up on the offer. Not that Courtney blamed her. She doubted if she could even bring herself to fully discuss the mess she had gotten herself into with Bianca. So leaving the situation as it was, Courtney slipped into her bedroom to curl up and try to forget what a mess she’d made of things. Which turned out to be far easier said than done.

***

Courtney couldn’t focus during rehearsal. All she could think about was Bianca, and their stupid, confusing game of hot and cold. Even though it seemed like they made up, her icy demeanor this morning made Courtney unsettled. And worse, every time Courtney closed her eyes, she saw that look on her face in the bathroom. That intense, angry glare. 

She’d seen Bianca angry before, but it had never been directed at her, and remembering it made her feel as weak and insecure as it had last night. 

And then on the other hand, there was Adore. Being with her had been such a _relief._ No games, no guessing, just a beautiful and charming girl who wanted her and wasn’t afraid to show it. And in her arms, at least in the beginning before Bianca ruined everything, Courtney felt so good. So why was that one look, those few angry words, enough to stop all of Courtney’s fun? Prevent her from enjoying a casual hook-up with a compliant, enthusiastic, sexy stranger. 

She couldn’t help wondering if Bianca would have done the same thing had Adore been a man. Not that there’d been much likelihood of that happening. At least, not last night. But was Adore right? Was she just jealous? It certainly seemed like that was part of the story.

So, she stumbled through ‘Wilkommen,’ mind spinning, and then completely blanked on the choreography during ‘Don’t Tell Mama.’ 

During the break, she slumped against the wall, sighing, trying her best to breathe deeply and get her shit together, when a hand on her shoulder made her look up. 

It was Shea, a senior who was playing the Emcee, who had clearly noticed her fuck-ups, because she had a concerned look on her face as she asked, “Rough day, huh?”

“Um, yeah,” Courtney admitted. “Soz.” 

“Don’t apologize. We all have our shit. Wanna talk about it?” Shea asked. 

“Well...it’s complicated. I’m kind of having an issue with this...girl I like,” Courtney said, surprised at how easily the words rolled off her tongue. 

“My specialty,” Shea told her, grinning wryly. “Go on…” 

Courtney bit her lip. It could be good to unburden herself. It had certainly felt good to confess her feelings to Adore last night. So she took a deep breath, the whole story tumbling out quickly. 

“She’s my roommate. And like, things have always been a bit...confusing. She flirts with me constantly, but it’s always in a way where it seems like she’s half kidding. And for awhile, that was fun, but lately it’s like she’s been pulling away, which is just-” Courtney sighed, trying to hold back tears as she continued. “She keeps finding ways to basically tell me that she doesn’t want anything more than friendship. So, fine, I got the hint. But then yesterday...” 

Courtney trailed off. Somehow recounting the story made her even more unsure. Was she really seeing any of this clearly?

“Yeah?” Shea prodded. 

“Well...we were at Sierra’s, and I met this girl, and I really liked her, and it was just...easy, you know?” 

“An easy girl at Sierra’s? Sounds like a perfect night to me,” Shea said with a chuckle. 

“Yeah, well, it would have been. But then Bianca like, interrupted us, because according to her, she was concerned that I was too drunk. I don’t know, she really got into my head, and we fought, and then I couldn’t enjoy it anymore. So I ended up leaving the club and we made up. I think? I fell asleep in her bed, and it was...I don’t know, it felt almost like we’d had some kind of a breakthrough. But now today she’s being weird again. I don’t know what to do.” 

“Have you...okay, keep in mind that this might be a radical suggestion,” Shea said, “But have you considered talking to her? Maybe telling her how you feel?” 

“I’ve tried!” Courtney exclaimed. “I’ve tried so many times. Or...I don’t know, it feels like I’ve tried.” 

“Have you tried...while you’re wearing that?” Shea asked, eyes looking down pointedly at Courtney’s rehearsal clothes, a skimpy spaghetti-strap tank top and pair of tiny shorts. When she met Courtney’s eyes again, there was a wicked smirk on her face. 

Courtney laughed, some of the tension finally leaving her shoulders. 

“I’m not kidding,” Shea insisted. 

“I appreciate your support,” Courtney giggled. 

“Look. Go home, _don’t_ change-”

At that, Courtney laughed again.

“And tell her how you fuckin’ feel,” Shea finished. “Open the door, invite her in...so to speak. If nothing else, then at least you’ll know that you were honest.” 

“Well...you’re not actually the first one to give me that advice.” Courtney recalled Adore last night, telling her practically the same thing. 

“There you go. Time to listen. Also...try to relax and forget about this shit while you’re here.” Shea slung an arm around her shoulder, continuing bluntly, “Or you’re gonna keep forgetting the choreo and Jonathan’s gonna replace your ass.”

Later, as Courtney walked home, she found herself getting more and more convinced that this was all just a giant misunderstanding. There had been so many signs. So many moments when Courtney was certain that Bianca liked her. And she became more and more determined to finally crack through Bianca’s walls. 

How to do it was another question entirely. But she supposed that listening to Shea and keeping the short shorts on wouldn’t hurt. 

***

Bianca knew that she’d brought this situation upon herself. She knew from the beginning, really, that she was in dangerous territory. But she’d blithely ignored the signs, the red flags, everything telling her that she needed to reign it in--and now, of course, everything was a mess. 

Part of her was a bit resentful. Why should she have to deprive herself of some healthy fun? It wasn’t her fault that her straight (okay, _bicurious_ , if she was honest) roommate found her so goddamn irresistible. She hadn’t done anything wrong--just some playful flirting, which she’d been clear from the beginning wasn’t meant to be taken seriously. She’d actually gone out of her way to _overstate_ the boundaries. 

But the smarter part...the more realistic part, knew that she was slightly full of shit. Knew that she’d done nothing, really, to stop the runaway train. And worse, that she’d allowed the situation at Sierra’s to get the better of her; her reaction to Courtney and Adore was entirely inappropriate and totally unjustified. She’d managed to squirm out of the conversation last night, probably due mostly to Courtney’s convenient intoxication. And this morning, too, managed to avoid any direct, uncomfortable questions. But Courtney wasn’t dumb, or a pushover, and she knew those questions would come sooner or later. 

Bianca hated uncertainty. And right now, everything felt uncertain, which was both aggravating and deeply unsettling. The only good thing today had going for it was that by noon, everyone had left, and she had the place to herself. 

Taking a long, relaxing bath when you share a bathroom with 3 other girls is a rare luxury. Unfortunately, in spite of the privacy and severely depleting her Lush supply, Bianca felt no better after her extended soak. She tried another tactic as the tub drained: vigorous exfoliation in the shower, scrubbing her body from head to toe until her skin felt raw. Unsurprisingly, that didn’t help either. Whatever was bothering her was clearly more than skin deep. 

She emerged from the steamy bathroom still anxious, still defeated. And so, finally resigned, she slunk back to her bedroom and pulled out a book that her Global Communications professor had recommended, settling onto her bed and hoping to at least get something productive done today. 

The soft knock on her door a little while later made her stomach drop. _Shit._

“Come in,” she said, resigned to the fact that this was happening, folding down the page she was on and sliding her book onto the dresser. 

Courtney pushed open the door, hesitating slightly. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, like she’d been hurrying in the chilly autumn air, and she was dressed in distractingly skimpy rehearsal clothes. 

“Are you busy? I wanted to talk.” 

“Nope.” Bianca tried to sound nonchalant, crossing her legs and tilting her head innocently. “What’s on your mind, dollface?” 

Courtney strode forward and sat on the bed. 

“Last night.” 

“Yes?” 

“Well. You said that you were worried that I’d drank too much. Right?” 

“Yeah, I thought that you were-”

“But then why were you so _mad_?” Courtney’s direct, unwavering gaze made Bianca slightly uncomfortable. 

“Well…” 

“Because you weren’t acting concerned. You weren’t acting like you were worried about a _friend’s_ safety. You were acting angry.” Courtney didn’t wait for her to respond before adding pointedly. “Some might even say _jealous_.” 

She folded her arms, waiting for Bianca’s answer. 

Bianca said nothing, instead choosing to stare at her with an expression just shy of a glare. In a way, she’d been prepared for this line of questioning. After all, she’d been there. She knew what happened. But she wasn’t prepared for the questions to come this fast, be this direct. 

This was a whole new side of Courtney. No longer the soft, agreeable little doll that she’d become accustomed to. The girl staring at her was unapologetic, prepared to take no shit. It made Bianca panic; and when Bianca panicked-

“We're done with this,” Bianca declared stonily, reaching for her book. 

Courtney stopped her, actually jumped up and snatched the book out of her reach. 

“No, we're not!”

“Courtney,” Bianca said warningly. She expected that and a fierce glare to be enough for Courtney to back off, yet to her mild surprise Courtney merely shook her head. 

“We need to talk about this. I deserve an answer.”

“There's nothing to fucking talk about!” Bianca shouted in spite of trying to keep her voice steady and emotionless. “I already told you why and if you don't want to believe me, that’s on you. Now give me my book.”

She held her hand out expectantly, determined not to give up without a fight. 

Exasperated, Courtney tossed the book aside and cried out, “Why do you keep pretending that it didn't happen?”

“What didn't happen?” came Bianca’s mocking reply.

“That you got jealous!” Courtney snapped back, then paused, taking a breath before admitting, “And I get it, okay? I was too, after I saw you flirting with that ranga.” 

“What’s a _ranga_? Is that so Aussie?” Bianca asked with a devious grin.

“Don’t try to be cute. The _redhead_ you were talking to. At the tables?”

Bianca frowned, trying to remember, then realized who Courtney meant. “Oh…her...” 

“Yeah, her.” 

“That was a two-minute conversation,” Bianca said defensively. 

“Well...” Courtney began, chewing on her lip, fingers nervously fidgeting as she continued, “That’s the point. I saw that and it made me feel...I don’t know, jealous and hurt, even though I knew that wasn’t really justified, or fair to you. You’re allowed to flirt with whoever you want, right?” 

A tightness began to creep into Bianca’s throat. Was Courtney saying what it sounded like she was saying? 

“But, then Adore started paying attention to me and suddenly I felt okay again,” she continued, and inexplicable anger took over, crushing the hope that had begun to bloom in Bianca’s chest. 

“Great, good for you,” Bianca growled. “Why don’t you call her, then?” 

“I don’t want to call her! I want you to admit that you saw me leave with her and you _followed_. You weren’t worried about my safety, you wanted to stop us from doing anything. Why can't you just admit that?” she asked desperately. Her eyes were pleading now and her voice started to crack. 

And Bianca, of course, had no answer. She looked away, swallowing, then back at Courtney, still searching for something to say. But Courtney beat her to the punch once again.

“I think...maybe you like me,” she spoke softly. “Don’t you?” 

When no answer came, once again, she tossed the book down and reached out, a hand on Bianca’s forearm. 

“Well, I like _you._ If I didn’t like you, I’d have stayed in the club with Adore. That would have been the easiest thing. But I didn’t, because I care about you. And I think you know that...so why can’t we even talk about it like fucking adults?” 

It wasn’t enough, was all Bianca could think. Courtney’s possibly temporary interest was not a reason to potentially fuck up a friendship, not to mention make their living situation extremely precarious. 

Sneering, yet still not moving away, Bianca told her, “ _Nothing_ about this would be a good idea.”

“Why not?” Courtney couldn’t help saying, eyes rolling. 

“Uh, about a million reasons,” Bianca said. “We’re roommates, we’re friends, and if things go south--scratch that, _when_ things go south, it’ll be a fucking mess.” 

“Could be worth it,” Courtney said, a smile pulling at her lips. “And I mean, I have heaps of other friends, so…” 

Thoroughly annoyed by Courtney’s nonchalance, Bianca then went for a low blow by reminding her, “Okay, how about the fact that you've never been with a woman before?” 

“So _what?_ ” 

“So, I don’t even know if you’re gay. Or what you are. Maybe you’re just...confused.” 

“Yeah, maybe!” Courtney burst out. “Maybe I don’t know what I am either. But labels aren’t really my priority right now. All I care about, all that matters, is that I like _you_.” 

“What is the point of this conversation, anyway? Do you really think you can debate me into fucking you?” Bianca asked.

Courtney’s smile turned bittersweet, a sigh leaving her. She scooted closer to Bianca, their knees now touching, speaking gently and carefully. 

“No, you’re right. I just wanted to tell you that I can’t stop thinking about you. And I don’t think it’s just some fleeting curiosity. I like everything about you...how smart you are, how funny, how even when you're teasing or mad at me like last night, I still wanna be close to you. I always have. You’re just so...so beautiful,” she finished, eyes soft and misty. No longer fighting, or trying to prove a point. No longer indignant or demanding an answer. Just looking at Bianca in that irresistible way, like she’d hung the moon. “And I think...it could be really great, if we gave it a shot.”

Bianca’s mind raced. How did this conversation go so off the rails, so quickly? What was she supposed to say to _that?_

“Maybe I’m wrong, though,” Courtney conceded lightly. “Maybe you don’t feel the same way. Maybe it’s all in my head.” 

“Courtney-”

“If you tell me I’m wrong, I’ll leave. I won’t bother you about this again. So. Tell me I’m wrong.” 

Courtney looked at her, challenging but still somehow soft and vulnerable. This was Bianca’s out. This was a _gift_ , and they both knew it. And the smart thing to do would have been to take that gift and just tell her that she was wrong. _Sorry for leading you on, dollface. Hope we can still be friends._

Instead, Bianca was an idiot. 

“I can’t.”

“Why?”

“Because. You’re not wrong, but-”

The smile that spread across Courtney’s face, lighting up her eyes, was yet another reminder to Bianca of how thoroughly she’d fucked this up. 

“But _listen_ ,” she continued, “I told myself a long time ago that I would not, under any circumstances, be the kind of asshole who tried to seduce straight girls.”

“I’m not-” 

“I know, I know, you don’t know what you are. But that’s the point, Court. I don’t want to be like, taking advantage of the fact that you’re confused right now. Okay? I just…” Bianca sighed. “God, I really should have just let you fuck that green-haired slut, huh?” 

Courtney chuckled at that.

“I just...I made a promise to myself. That no matter what, I wasn’t gonna lay a hand on you.” 

“Hmm.” Courtney made a small noise, backing off a little bit. “Okay.” 

It was too easy, and her eyes still had that sparkle. So Bianca’s heart was still in her throat. 

“I understand what you’re saying, B. And I would _never_ want to make you feel like you have to break a personal promise.”

Bianca began to get the distinct impression that she was being mocked, in spite of the sweet and empathetic way that Courtney was speaking--or maybe because of it. 

“But, if you’ll hear it...I do have a small counterpoint,” Courtney added. 

“Fine.” 

“Are you sure?” Courtney asked. “I don’t want to nag you. So if your mind is made up, I-”

“Just tell me your fuckin’ counterpoint.” 

“Okay.” Courtney inched forward, “Here it is.” 

Bianca’s eyes shifted to her knee, where Courtney’s hand had settled. Her breathing remained shallow, body unmoving. When she looked back into Courtney’s glittering green eyes, felt the soft hand slide up her thigh, her breath hitched. 

“Do you want me to stop?” Courtney whispered. 

Her pulse now racing, Bianca shook her head slightly, watching Courtney’s beautiful face as her eyes went soft. She leaned closer, lips hovering over Bianca’s, so close that Bianca swore she could taste her. Her free hand tangled into Bianca’s hair, fingers running through it as she cupped her cheek. 

When their mouths were mere millimeters apart, Bianca’s eyes finally fell closed, lips parting in anticipation, hands moving to Courtney’s waist. Courtney brushed their lips together, so soft Bianca thought she may have imagined it. 

*

Courtney had been dreaming of this for so long; it was hard for her to believe that it was really happening. She took her time, thumbs stroking Bianca’s cheeks, nose nuzzling into her gently before finally pressing their lips together. Her mouth was pillowy soft and warm, and Courtney couldn’t help smiling against her as she deepened the kiss, tongue slipping inside her mouth to luxuriate in the taste of her. 

“Court, wait...are you really sure this is what you want?” Bianca asked, pulling back just a little to search her eyes. 

Still panting, Courtney took a moment to compose herself, enough to look into Bianca’s eyes and say, “Dead sure.” 

“Ugh, that’s so Aussie,” Bianca stated, and Courtney laughed, pulling her close again.

“Shut up,” she whispered, going in for another soft kiss. 

And then, like a dam bursting open, she lunged forward, wrapping her arms around Bianca’s shoulders and climbing into her lap. A low moan left Bianca’s lips as she rolled her hips forward, which emboldened Courtney to continue, rocking against her. Her lips trailed down Bianca’s jaw to her neck, finding the tenderest spot to graze with her teeth before sucking gently. 

*

“Shit,” Bianca murmured, fingers digging into Courtney’s waist. 

Why on earth had she been fighting this? 

She supposed that from the beginning, the fact that Courtney was straight had addled her mind. Made her off-limits in a way that allowed Bianca to pretend that she was keeping her distance. And the fact that this ‘straight’ girl seemed so into her? That made it better--an exercise in self-control, which Bianca deluded herself into thinking that she was winning. At least until this weekend. 

Now though, with Courtney finally in her arms, enthusiastically devouring her neck, pulling at the buttons of her top, she finally allowed herself to relax. 

“You’re really jumping into this lesbian thing with both feet, huh?” Bianca asked breathlessly.

“Is there any other way to do it?” Courtney murmured, licking up her throat, then pushing Bianca’s top open and letting out a gratified sigh. 

The way she drank Bianca in with hungry, greedy eyes made hairs stand up on the back of her neck. And then she reached forward, hands sliding up Bianca’s torso, cupping her tits. 

“God, you’re so sexy,” Courtney breathed, running the back of her fingers over Bianca’s achingly hard nipples. 

“Shit,” Bianca groaned again, arching up. The frantic pulsing between her legs begged her to take back control—to fling Courtney onto her back and make her forget her own name. But part of her was also thrilled by how self-assured Courtney was, how quickly she’d been able to work Bianca up to the point of pain.

“Do you like that, B?” Courtney asked softly. Her body weight pressed down as fingers continued to casually toy with her nipples. 

Bianca looked up at her, bleary-eyed with lust, and admitted, “I’ve never been so happy to be wrong in my life.” 

Courtney giggled adorably, laying a light kiss against Bianca’s temple. 

“Hold that thought,” she then said, jumping up from the bed. 

Bianca lifted herself onto her elbows and blinked at her, a bit dazed, as she rifled through her dresser. 

“What...what the hell are you looking for?”

“Just something to...aha!” Courtney pulled out a pair of black tights and ran to the door, tying them around the handle. 

“We haven’t really established that code,” Bianca said.

“She’s smart. She’ll figure it out.” Courtney shut the door firmly, turning back to Bianca with a wicked grin. She whipped off her shirt (and bra) in one fluid motion, tossing them to the floor, then took her sweet time sauntering back to the bed, asking, “Where were we?” 

Bianca cleared her throat, trying to tear her eyes from her perfect little tits before answering hoarsely, “You were teasing the shit out of me.” 

“Oh yeah,” Courtney said brightly, climbing back on the bed and straddling her quickly. “Thanks...” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the next chapter in this series, please [click here!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27100924/chapters/69087369) TY!!


	6. Bang it Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let’s be honest, this chapter is just mostly porn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the companion story to “No Strings Attached.” Both ships are in both stories, but generally, “No Strings Attached” is Willaska-focused and this one is Bitney-focused.  
> 

Courtney was thrilled. Finally in Bianca’s arms, something she’d longed for since the first day they met--even if it had taken her awhile to admit it to herself. She flung herself into it with all of that pent-up longing, an urgent need to prove how certain she was that this wasn’t a mistake. 

Her kisses were passionate, messy, almost frantic, making her way down Bianca’s body. When she began to slide Bianca’s bottoms off, a hand covered hers, stopping her. 

“Whatcha doin’ down there?” 

“I thought I would eat your pussy,” Courtney replied, doing her best to sound confident. 

“Uh huh. And do you know how to do that?” Bianca asked, an amused smirk on her lips. 

“Uhh…” Of course she didn’t, in spite of the several embarrassing google searches in her browser history, which ultimately ended up confusing her more than helping. But Bianca didn’t need to know that. “I’ve read some stuff. Figured I’d wing it.”

“I mean, I appreciate the thought, but, wouldn’t you like some instructions first?” Bianca cupped her face, tilting her chin up, tucking some hair behind her ear. 

“I thought you like girls who know what they’re doing,” Courtney admitted, resisting the urge to press into Bianca’s hand like a cat. 

“True. But...I can’t expect you to be psychic, can I? Why don’t I give you a live demo?” Her fingers drifted through Courtney’s hair, then scratched her scalp lightly, causing shivers to run through her. 

It took less than half a second for Courtney to say, “Okay.” 

Bianca grinned at her, moving aside to give her space on the narrow bed. 

“Lie down.” 

Courtney complied immediately, getting a tingling little thrill when Bianca’s grin deepened, heart pounding as she pressed a kiss to Courtney’s open mouth. 

“Are you ready?” she murmured, hands sliding over Courtney’s body, making her skin prickle. 

“Yes.” 

“Take off your panties,” Bianca instructed. 

Courtney raised her hips, saying, “You do it.” 

Bianca’s head tilted at her, amused. 

“I’m sorry, who’s running the show here?” 

“Please,” Courtney pouted sweetly, fluttering her lashes. 

“You’re a brat,” Bianca said, eyes sparkling with amusement as she hooked her fingers into the side of Courtney’s panties and slid them slowly down her legs. “And oh, look...telling the truth about being a natural blonde, huh?” 

“Dead on.” With a victorious grin, Courtney spread her legs, giving Bianca space to settle between them. Her abdomen was tense with excitement as Bianca placed a soft, teasing kiss just below her belly button, then looked up with a smile. She locked eyes with Courtney, barely moving, one hand drifting slowly up and down her thigh. 

“Go ahead,” Courtney urged. 

“What makes you think I haven’t already started?” Bianca asked. “See...you have to make sure she’s _really_ ready.” 

She bent down slowly, placing an excruciatingly soft kiss just inside Courtney’s knee. 

“I’m ready,” Courtney said, failing to keep the pitiful whine out of her voice. 

Bianca didn’t answer, just smiled to herself and continued to trail featherlight kisses along her thighs. 

“You want her to be dripping wet...quivering...a needy mess…” Bianca’s hot breath ghosted over her, and Courtney whimpered. 

“I hope you know,” she gasped out, “this means I’m gonna be torturing you back.” 

Bianca looked up, catching her eye with a mischievous glint. 

“Counting on it.” 

*

Bianca knew that she was being a bit of a sadistic bitch, but she couldn’t help it. Courtney was just so cute, with her cheeks flushed a bright pink, whimpering with need every time she so much as breathed against her. 

“You can feel her with your fingers, to really see how wet she is,” Bianca said, letting the back of her knuckles graze her pussy; and Jesus Christ, wet was an understatement. Courtney squirmed against her hand, breath hitching. Bianca looked into her lust-darkened eyes, bringing her fingers up to her mouth to lick slowly. 

“Taste her…” 

Courtney inhaled sharply, watching Bianca in a trance as she licked her fingers clean. Her other hand still rested on her warm thigh, and she could feel the muscles tensing beneath her. 

Finally satisfied that she was ready, Bianca bent down, hovering over her for a few moments until she could see her trembling. 

“You wanna go in soft,” she said, before licking her slowly, tongue flat against her. 

Courtney arched up, clutching Bianca’s sheets in her fist. 

“Every girl is different,” Bianca explained, nuzzling against her. “And usually, you’re gonna get very little in the way of direct instructions. So...you have to try different things. See what works.”

Bianca swirled her tongue around, trying to watch Courtney’s reaction through her fringe of dark lashes. And then, when she began to flick her tongue, Courtney’s hips began to roll, a hand tangling into her hair and pressing down on the back of her head. 

Pausing to reach behind her own head and tap Courtney’s hand, Bianca looked up at her with a smirk. 

“If she’s pushing on the back of your head, she’s probably trying to tell you to go harder.” 

“Yeah,” Courtney affirmed, nodding frantically. “Harder…”

“So, you can listen. Or, you can tease her a little more...back off and go even softer.” 

The aggrieved whimper that came out of Courtney’s mouth next, accompanied by vigorous thrusting of her hips, was almost enough to make Bianca laugh. If she’d had to guess ahead of time, she’d have pegged Courtney as someone who wanted everything gentle and soft. Beautiful to look at, but pure vanilla--possibly even boring, in the way that pretty girls so often are. The rabid maniac trying to fuck her face was an enchanting surprise. 

“Teasing is especially fun when she’s a bit of a freak,” Bianca told her with a light cackle. 

“I-” Whatever Courtney’s response was going to be, it was cut off with a broken moan, body in overdrive as she fell apart, gasping for air. 

“Are you gonna remember this?” Bianca asked, “Because it’s all gonna be on the test. You should really be taking notes…”

“Oh God, Bianca, _please_ …” she managed to choke out. 

*

“Okay,” Bianca said, voice low and sexy, causing Courtney to shiver. “Pay attention, because this part is important..” 

Courtney was neither a virgin nor a prude. She was fairly certain that she knew her own body. But the rapturous pleasure that ripped through her when Bianca began to suck on her clit was a new feeling entirely. 

She twisted Bianca’s hair in her fists, moaning her name, grinding against her tongue as wave after wave of ecstasy hit her, until she finally collapsed in a sweaty heap. It felt like her bones were made of spaghetti--as weak as a rag doll, unable to even lift her head. She barely noticed Bianca sucking soft kisses into her skin, up her torso, until they were once again face to face, Bianca hovering over her with a satisfied smirk on her face. 

“So...you like to fuck, huh?” 

In spite of her exhaustion, Courtney chuckled drily. 

“I’ve been trying to tell you…” she mumbled, and Bianca laughed, continuing to kiss her.

“Sorry to keep you waiting so long,” Bianca said. Her hands slid into Courtney’s hair, cradling the back of her head, lips trailing over her jaw. 

“I forgive you,” Courtney sighed, enjoying the tender affection. It was so gentle, and sweet, and made Courtney feel precious, warmth spreading through her to her toes. She reached a hand up to touch Bianca’s cheek. 

As they kissed again, a giggle slipped from Courtney’s lips. 

“What?” Bianca asked, nuzzling against her. 

“You’re just...a little different than I expected,” Courtney admitted. 

“Oh yeah? How so?” 

“Well…” Courtney bit her lip, looking into Bianca’s dark eyes. “I just didn’t think you’d be so...I dunno. Sweet.” 

“Disappointed?” Bianca whispered. 

“No. I like you like this…”

“Well, don’t tell anyone,” Bianca warned. “You’ll ruin my reputation.” 

“Okay,” Courtney said, fingers circling her left dimple. “I’ll just say you fucked me and then pushed me off the bed.” 

Bianca laughed. “So, you’ve watched my sex tape?” 

“Mmmhm,” Courtney giggled, feeling that familiar pride she always got when she made Bianca laugh. 

As Bianca’s hot mouth found her neck, Courtney felt a tightness returning to her belly. She arched up, and Bianca chuckled slightly, bearing down against her. 

“B…” Courtney whimpered, “It’s supposed to be your turn now.” 

“I was trying to give you a few minutes to recover,” Bianca said, a wicked glint in her eye, hips rolling. “But I guess I can’t help myself.” 

Courtney’s breath came faster as her nails raked down Bianca’s back, gliding over her sweat-dampened skin. Feeling Bianca’s naked breasts against her own only made her long for more. She slipped her fingers under Bianca’s waistband, pushing her panties down impatiently. 

“Can I help you with something?” Bianca raised her hips slightly to let Courtney push her panties down farther, until they got caught around her thighs. 

“Please, B, please…” 

“Yes, baby? Tell me what you want.” 

“I want to feel you against me,” Courtney said, a desperate edge in her voice as she dug her fingers into Bianca’s ass, thighs spreading even more. 

Bianca complied, pulling her panties off the rest of the way and then grinding down against Courtney’s welcoming body, making her gasp with pleasure. Courtney captured Bianca’s mouth in a kiss, nothing between them now but slick wetness as Bianca rubbed against her. 

“Oh, fuck…” 

*

Bianca raised herself up on her elbows, unable to resist watching Courtney’s beautiful face as she fell apart, cheeks flushed red, lips swollen, hips arching again and again. She reached down to butterfly her pussy open, grinding harder against her exposed, swollen clit. Courtney clung to Bianca for dear life as fingers sought out her heat, finding her dripping wet. 

The way she moaned shamelessly made Bianca want to fuck her absolutely senseless. 

“Hey…” she murmured into Courtney’s ear, not missing the telltale shiver. “I got another idea…” 

Courtney turned towards her, lips chasing hers, soft sighs of pleasure turning to an indignant whine as Bianca rolled away, slipping off the bed. 

“Patience, babydoll...” Bianca said, ducking under the bed to pull out a plastic box with the vague label of “SUPPLIES.” She pulled off the lid and pawed through the box, finding the dildo she was looking for, a very nice little beginner one in light pink, and placing it on the bed with a wicked smirk. “How do you feel about a strap-on?” 

Courtney bit her lip, rolling over onto her side, thighs pressed together. 

“I mean, I’ve never worn one before, but I’m willing to try…” she said, eyes fluttering. 

“Very funny,” Bianca told her, watching her giggle and reach forward to touch the toy. 

“It doesn’t really look like a dick,” she declared, running her fingers down the smooth length of it. 

“Well...I’m not trying to trick you,” Bianca said, then paused before adding, “You can say no if you don’t want to-” 

“I don’t wanna say no,” Courtney said, tilting her head, eyes still a bit glazed. “Let’s do it.” 

Bianca grinned, dimples deep in her cheeks as she slipped on the harness and pushed the dildo through the ring, climbing back onto the bed. She handed Courtney a bottle of lube, then leaned back on her elbows, waiting. 

“Do you want me to…” 

“What do you want to do?” Bianca challenged, and Courtney lunged towards her, pulling her into a kiss. 

She coated the toy generously with lube, a messy endeavor that was made even messier from her hurried enthusiasm. As she kneeled over Bianca, guiding the dildo towards her, Bianca started to tell her to take it slow, but she was too late, Courtney sitting down firmly against her with a gasp. 

“Are you okay?” Bianca asked, tracing light patterns up her thighs, waiting for her to adjust. 

Courtney nodded, leaning forward, starting to rock slowly. Getting to act out a literal fantasy was new for Bianca, and it took her brain a minute to catch up to what was happening, this golden-haired goddess riding her the way she’d dreamed of. Bianca groaned, mesmerized by her tits. She reached up to toy with them, and as her fingers brushed over the dark pink of her hardened nipples, Courtney let out a broken moan. 

All Bianca wanted was to hear that sound again, and so she kept at it, pinching and rolling her nipples between her fingers, finally lifting her head to take one into her mouth, sucking gently at first and then harder, teeth nibbling at her, doing anything she could to chase the beautiful sound of Courtney coming apart. 

* 

“Oh, god…” Courtney’s thighs squeezed Bianca’s hips as she thrust forward frantically, unable to get enough of her. She thought she’d wanted her before, but nothing she’d imagined could compare to the real thing, the heat of her smooth, soft skin, the feel of her luscious curves, the way her hands felt on Courtney’s trembling body. Best of all, the look in her dark eyes as she gazed up at Courtney with pure, open desire, taking one of Courtney’s tits into her mouth, tingles shooting straight to her core as a tongue circled her nipple. 

Courtney was so wrapped up in the moment that the sudden buzzing of the vibrator caught her completely off guard, lighting her up from within, making her cry out. Fingers dug into Bianca’s shoulders as she gasped for breath. 

“Do you like that?” 

The question barely registered in Courtney’s addled mind, but she answered on auto, nodding vigorously, the rolling waves of vibration washing over her. She whimpered pitifully as Bianca took control, pushing her onto her back, capturing her mouth in a kiss as she began to drive her hips forward faster and faster. Her controlled rhythm kept Courtney torturously on the edge, clawing at her back. 

When Bianca turned the vibrator up, Courtney nearly blacked out, writhing beneath her, coming hard, and then again before she could catch a single breath, her entire body like a live wire as Bianca kept pumping her hips, slower now, teeth buried in the tender skin of her neck as she moaned, eyes rolled back. 

Her mind was completely empty of everything but white-hot pleasure, lungs burning with a lack of oxygen, every thrust pushing her deeper and deeper into blissful agony, until she collapsed in exhaustion. 

When Courtney’s eyes fluttered open, to the feeling of Bianca pressing soft kisses all over her face, she was drenched in sweat and still gasping for air. It could have been a minute later, or 10, or 10 _years_ \--she had no idea. 

She wrapped her arms tighter around Bianca’s waist, holding her close. 

“Wow.” 

Bianca giggled softly, an adorably girlish sound, nuzzling into her cheek, and Courtney sighed against her, realizing that she _still_ hadn’t reciprocated. This was turning into an upsettingly one-sided arrangement. Of course, there was the chance that the vibrator had made up for Courtney’s own lack of follow-through. 

“Did you come?” Courtney asked hopefully, twirling a lock of Bianca’s hair around her finger. 

“I did,” Bianca assured her. “You?” 

“So many times.” Courtney let out a giddy laugh. 

“Oh yeah? How many?” 

“I lost count,” she admitted, head dropping backwards with a sleepy sigh. 

For a few moments, they just breathed in the silence, bodies pressed together in a tangled heap, so sated that they soon drifted off to a contented sleep. 

***

When Bianca’s eyes opened again, the evening sky had grown dark and Courtney was snuggled tight against her, tracing around her nipples so lightly, it made her shudder. She turned to Courtney with a dimpled grin. 

“Hi,” Courtney said, eyes sparkling at her. 

“Hey…How are you feeling?” 

“Perfect...amazing…” Courtney stretched, making Bianca shift to give her more room. She flung a leg over Bianca’s, mouth turned up into a smirk. “So...are you glad I debated you into fucking me?” 

“First time I enjoyed losing an argument…” 

Courtney giggled, pushing Bianca onto her back and slipping a leg in between hers, lips seeking out Bianca’s for a deep, messy kiss. Bianca buried her hands into Courtney’s hair, enjoying the feel of a firm thigh against her. It was no longer rushed and desperate the way it had been earlier. 

It took Bianca a few minutes to catch on to what she was doing: lips brushing down her jaw to her neck, tongue over her collarbone, then circling her nipples. Slowly heading lower and lower. 

“Court...what are you-” 

“Fulfilling a promise…” Her breath was hot against Bianca’s abdomen, making her insides twist. She looked up at Bianca, batting her eyes innocently, bottom lip still brushing against her skin. “Is this okay?” 

Bianca gulped. She was used to being in control, but could feel herself slipping, breath hitching as Courtney nibbled softly against her. When she didn’t immediately answer, Courtney crawled back up to capture her bottom lip in a heated kiss, teeth tugging it just enough that Bianca’s fingers dug into her waist. The way she hovered over Bianca’s body on her hands and knees, tits rubbing against Bianca’s own, made her shiver. 

“I’m supposed to check, right?” Courtney asked, fingers skating up Bianca’s inner thigh to seek out her warm, wet pussy. 

Bianca inhaled sharply, watching through heavy-lidded eyes as Courtney brought her slick fingers to her mouth, sucking hungrily at them, the satisfied noise she made so filthy that it made Bianca’s heart pound. 

“Should I keep going?” Courtney asked, and Bianca nodded, allowing herself to relax backwards, enjoy the way she explored her body with a combination of tender affection and sordid greediness. 

Her fingers curled back into Courtney’s hair as her head dipped lower and lower, eyes finally falling closed to concentrate on the heat of her tongue, when a bang on the door caused her to jump clean out of her skin. 

_“Bianca! Tell whatever slut you’ve got in there to cover up, we’re coming in!”_

“Fuck me dead!” Courtney shrieked as the door flew open, snatching up a pillow to use as an ineffective privacy shield. 

Willam stood in the doorway with her mouth open, just staring at them in absolute shock.

“ _That’s so Aussie_ ,” giggled Alaska’s voice from behind her. “ _...Isn’t it?_ ” 

Willam turned around to ask incredulously, “Did you know it was _Courtney_ she was fucking in there?”

“ _Yeah. Sorry. She’s loud._ ” 

“Huh…Not with guys,” Willam said. 

Bianca was just getting over her shock of being interrupted in such a vulnerable state, her initial terror turning to indignant anger. 

“Excuse me!” she exclaimed, sitting up. “Is there a fucking reason for this invasion?!” 

“Yes, asshole. Alaska’s been sexiled out here for hours and she needs to get her stuff,” Willam replied, hand on her hip. 

“Shit.” Bianca glanced outside. The darkness had registered, but not the fact that they’d been keeping Alaska in purgatory. She would have felt a little bad...if she didn’t feel so fucking good. 

“Omigod, Alaska, I’m so sorry!” Courtney cried guiltily. “I didn’t realize what time it was-” 

“Clearly,” Willam said. “Get whatever you need, Lask. You can have Courtney’s bed tonight.” She turned back to Courtney, shaking her head with a scowl that just barely covered how amused she was. “I assume that’s okay with you, you fuckin’ whore?”

“Yes, of course!” Courtney said. 

Bianca reached down for her blankets, which were piled down at the foot of the bed, pulling them up over their naked bodies to finally cover them both properly while Alaska retrieved her things. 

“I guess she figured out what the tights meant,” she murmured into Courtney’s ear, earning a delighted laugh. Bianca pressed a kiss to her cheek, then unable to resist, nibbled softly down her jaw, almost immediately forgetting about their unwelcome company, whispering again into her skin, “God, you’re fucking delicious…” 

Courtney’s cheeks were a lovely pink as she lowered the blanket slightly to say goodnight to the other girls. 

“One word of advice, Bianca,” Willam said, holding the door open as Alaska scampered out. “...be careful.”

Bianca turned to her, glowering at her with a look that told Willam she better quickly shut the fucking door, but Willam continued. 

“You know that thing about koalas and chlamydia...she could be patient zero…” she added. 

Bianca leaned over and picked up one of Courtney’s sneakers from the ground beside the bed, hurling it towards Willam’s head with full force. She ducked, laughing, as it hit the door. 

“Hey, I’m just looking out for your health!” 

“Go!” Bianca yelled, blood pressure rising as Willam stuck out her tongue and finally shut the door behind her. She gave herself a few moments to shake off her irritation before turning back to Courtney with a smile. “Hey…” 

“Hi.” Courtney bit her lip, suddenly bashful, and Bianca cupped her cheek gently. 

“Everything okay?” 

“Yeah! I’m glad they know, actually,” Courtney said. “But…” 

“But what?” Bianca felt a slight dread creep into the edges of her thoughts. 

“But I kind of...have to pee.” 

“Oh, yeah. Me too, actually,” Bianca chuckled, tossing the covers off. “And we should probably eat some dinner.” 

“You’re _still_ hungry?” Courtney asked, eyes flashing with a naughty glint. 

Bianca laughed, utterly charmed. As she slid down from the bed, she caught Courtney’s gaze once again, dimples deep in her cheeks. 

***

In the morning, once Bianca left for work, Courtney wandered back into her own room and flopped onto her unmade bed in a starry-eyed daze. 

“Well well well. Look who’s joining us. The newest baby dyke,” Willam proclaimed, looking up from doing Alaska’s makeup. 

“Will,” Alaska scolded, but Courtney just giggled, hugging a pillow to her chest. 

She hadn’t gotten much sleep last night; neither of them did. And it was painful when Bianca finally slipped out of bed this morning to shower and get ready for work. Although Courtney had to admit, there was something sexy about watching her get ready--the almost choreographed routine of her hair and makeup, clad in a silky robe that kept slipping off her tanned shoulder, so enticing that Courtney eventually had to crawl to the edge of the bed to press a soft kiss against her. And then, when she began to get dressed, she allowed Courtney to dictate what she wore, down to the undergarments. She’d been amused when Courtney insisted on the set of forest green lingerie she’d bought that first week, the ones that had been at the center of Courtney’s most reckless fantasies. 

“You like these?” Bianca had teased, dangling the panties between her fingers, laughing at the desperate edge in Courtney’s voice when she’d answered with a whispered ‘yes.’ 

Courtney curled around her pillow, counting the hours in her head until she would see Bianca again. She had an evening class after work, which meant that by the time she got home, Courtney would be stuck in her _Cabaret_ rehearsal. It would be close to 11 pm before they’d be in the same room. Endless. 

Willam looked up again, shaking her head and saying, “Surprised you can still walk after last night.” 

“And this morning,” Courtney couldn’t help saying, with a cheeky grin. She nearly shivered with the memory of Bianca’s fingers working her into ecstasy while she was still in a sleepy, blissful haze, and then the intoxicating scent of her perfume right before she left, that glimpse she gave Courtney of the lingerie lingering in her mind, giving her something to obsess over all day. 

Willam made a disgusted face, then began to fuss with Alaska’s hair. 

“So...Ms. Del Rio took good care of you?” Alaska asked kindly, one eyebrow raised. 

“Yeah, I’ll say…” Courtney smiled dreamily. “Did you know that you could come more than once, like in a row?”

“Everyone knows that, Courtney,” Willam said with an eye roll. 

“No, I know, like in theory, but did you know _actually_?” Courtney sat up, eyes wide. 

“Omigod,” Willam groaned. “She’s already fucked half your brain cells out.”

Alaska stifled a laugh, saying, “I’m real happy for you, Court.” 

“Thank you. She just so…” Courtney searched for words, but came up empty. Shit, maybe Willam was right about her brain cells. She took a deep breath, noticing Alaska’s outfit for the first time. It was something she’d never worn before, and she looked adorable. “Alaska, I love that outfit! How come I’ve never seen it before?” 

“It’s Willam’s.” 

“Yeah, she had to borrow clothes since _someone_ was getting railed in her bedroom this morning,” Willam said. 

“Oh.” Courtney fell backwards, collapsing on the bed in blissful giggles. “Oops.” 

***

One thing that Bianca enjoyed about being the oldest one in their little group was that the others often assumed she was wise and experienced, even when she wasn’t. She liked the respect that came along with them believing that she knew things, and didn’t do much to dissuade their (sometimes incorrect) assumptions. 

The truth was, though, as much experience as Bianca had with girls, she had never technically been in a “relationship.” She’d had plenty of one-night stands, but there wasn’t ever anyone that she felt justified calling a girlfriend. 

Even though Courtney had blithely brushed aside her concerns about hooking up with a roommate, it didn’t totally negate them. She knew that, as close as they were and as much time as they spent together, there wasn’t going to be anything casual about their relationship. Even now, when it had been less than a day. 

Her suspicions were confirmed when she got home that night to find a note on her pillow. 

_Had to go to rehearsal, but there’s a surprise for you in the fridge. XO, C_

The surprise turned out to be homemade banana pudding, which was shocking to Bianca for two reasons. One, because in the months that she’d known Courtney, what she’d witnessed of her “cooking” was mostly just blending up smoothies or making kale chips, and very occasionally cooking some vegetables in a pan to dump over rice. To see what looked like a made-from-scratch dessert...even if it was terrible, the effort was overwhelmingly apparent. And two, banana pudding was Bianca’s favorite food, but she couldn’t for the life of her remembering ever telling that to Courtney. 

She wanted to wait and maybe eat it together, but after about an hour, her resolve broke down, and she was in for a third surprise. It was _good._

“How’s it taste?” Alaska asked, leaning on the doorframe. 

“Oh, uh...it’s...it’s great, actually.” 

“That was her third try,” her roommate confided, an amused smile playing on her lips. “She really likes you.” 

“Well…” Bianca swallowed uncomfortably. “I really like her, too.” 

But was it too much, too fast? Bianca couldn’t focus on her homework, mind too busy with racing, anxious thoughts. She tried to distract herself, sitting with Alaska (and then Willam, once she got home) and watching an idiotic reality show that they loved, all about children’s competitive cheerleading. 

Courtney got back to the apartment around ten, immediately flying into the living room and climbing directly into Bianca’s lap, kissing her deeply, clearly unconcerned about their potential audience. 

“Hey there,” Bianca murmured, when they finally came up for air. “How was your day?” 

“It was the longest day of my life,” Courtney breathed, nuzzling into her neck. “I’m so glad to be home.” 

In some ways, this was Bianca’s worst nightmare. So many _feelings_. Soft, gooey feelings, exposed and raw. But on the other hand, she did feel awfully warm in Bianca’s arms, and she smelled like heaven, and maybe feelings weren’t the worst thing in the world…

“Did you try the pudding?” Courtney asked. “Was it okay?” 

“It was perfect.” 

“Good.” Courtney twirled a lock of hair, lashes fluttering, and whispered, “Show me the bra…” 

“There are other people in the room, you know,” Bianca murmured back, feeling her cheeks heat up. 

“So? Come on, just a peek.” Courtney tugged at her top button. 

“ _Ugh.._.” 

Courtney looked up, amused at Willam’s interruption. “What, Bill? You got an opinion to share?” 

“Yeah. You’re being gross,” Willam said. “And you’ve never acted this way with a guy.” 

“Bianca’s better than a guy,” said Courtney. 

Bianca looked up at Willam and offered a little shrug. “My dick vibrates.” 

Alaska burst out laughing, looking up from her laptop. “Hard to argue with that logic, eh Will?”

“Whatever,” Willam said, rolling her eyes. 

Courtney’s attention was back on Bianca, fingering her button, and Bianca gave a little nod of consent, letting her open it, a sharp inhale immediately following. It was, quite frankly, thrilling to see her so turned on just from a glimpse down her top. And then her head snapped up, almost like getting startled out of a dream, saying, “Alaska…?” 

“Yes, Courtney?” 

“Do you want to...borrow my bed again?” 

“I already put my stuff in your room,” Alaska informed her. 

“Oh, okay...beaut.” Courtney slid from Bianca’s lap and sauntered into her bedroom, Bianca quickly scrambling behind. 

“Goodnight, guys!” Bianca tossed out. 

Courtney gave a little wave to her other roommates before shutting the door firmly, cutting off the sound of their amused laughter. Then she turned and flashed the naughtiest, most wicked grin Bianca had ever seen. 

“Lay down.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the next chapter in this series, please [click here!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27100924/chapters/69840258) xx


	7. #CouplesGoals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the supersized final chapter, where Courtney and Bianca navigate their new relationship, and find out that they’re not the only ones in their apartment living out a romantic comedy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: Explicit 
> 
> (For Dartmouth42: thank you for giving the most motivating, sweetest feedback on every single chapter!! I hope you enjoy the little cameo I included for you. XO) 
> 
> TW for a moment of controlling/domineering behavior that immediately gets shut down

Courtney hovered over Bianca on the bed, practically salivating at the sight of her all disheveled--blouse open, skirt unzipped and pushed down around her thighs, lipstick smeared, normally perfect hair mussed against the pillow. The dark green of her bra and panties looked sinfully gorgeous against her skin, just as Courtney knew it would. Courtney felt almost dizzy as she tugged on her clothes, pulling off her skirt the rest of the way and helping her wriggle out of the blouse. 

She pulled one of the lacy bra cups down to reveal her breast, swirling her tongue around the nipple and then blowing on it gently, watching it harden. She took the now stiff nipple back into her mouth and sucked hard, eliciting a moan. 

“Baby…” Bianca panted, her own hands sliding up Courtney’s thighs, under her dress. 

Courtney continued to press wet kisses over Bianca’s chest, reaching behind her to unhook the bra, watching as her perfect tits spilled out. She was so beautiful, so deliciously sexy, Courtney felt her breath hitch as her eyes roamed greedily over Bianca’s curves. 

“Please…” Bianca was trying to ease Courtney’s dress up. 

Courtney sat back on her heels to assist, pulling the dress over her head and flinging it aside into the pile of discarded clothes. She slid her hands over Bianca’s body, desperate to touch every inch of her. Bianca seemed to be of the same mind, fingers raking down her ribs to her waist, knuckles brushing teasingly over the front of her cotton panties, which Courtney had now soaked through. 

“God, you’re so wet,” Bianca groaned. Finished with teasing, she stuffed her hand down the front of Courtney’s panties, stroking her, pulling gasps of pleasure from her. Her fingers slipped inside easily, curling against Courtney’s g-spot as goosebumps broke out all over her arms.

A low moan escaped Courtney’s lips as she fucked down into Bianca’s fingers, knuckles turning white where she gripped the sheets. Bianca’s spare hand rested on her ass, kneading it, helping her to guide the rhythm of her frantic hips. 

Courtney buried her face in Bianca’s neck, losing herself in the scent of her perfume, the familiarity of it only spurring her on as shivers rippled down her spine. 

“Fuck, Bianca…” she moaned, trembling on the edge as she began to lose her grip on reality, the room spinning as she hurtled into the dizzying recesses of pleasure, clinging to Bianca for dear life. 

*

The sound of Bianca’s name dripping from her lips was perfect. She breathed in the moment greedily, swallowing up her moans as spasms began to rip through Courtney’s body, working her faster and faster. The ache in Bianca’s arm soon burned in the best way, and she pushed through, not stopping until Courtney had collapsed in a heap beside her. 

“Was that good, baby?” Bianca pressed a kiss against her temple, smiling at the weak murmur of agreement that escaped her. 

Bianca couldn’t help sucking her slick fingers up to her mouth, already addicted to the taste of her, addicted to the feeling of her panting, sated body pressed against Bianca’s in the narrow bed. She sighed happily, one arm curled around Courtney’s shoulders, stroking her sweat-dampened skin. 

After a few minutes, Courtney lifted her head and said, “You keep doing that.” 

“Keep doing what?” 

“You know…” Courtney's eyes lowered bashfully, cheeks still red. 

“Making you come?” 

“No. I mean, yes, but…” Courtney bit her lip. “I was trying to make _you_ come.” 

“Well...I don’t know what to tell you, babydoll,” Bianca smirked. “I guess you have to work faster.” 

“Is that a dare?” Courtney’s eyes glittered as she rolled back on top of Bianca, fingers trailing down her collarbone. 

“Well, I-” Bianca let out a small gasp as Courtney gently pinched one her nipples between her fingers, a thigh pressed against her, tongue invading her mouth. 

She arched up, body thrumming with need as Courtney nibbled against her neck, hot mouth moving swiftly down her body. 

Bianca threaded her hands into Courtney’s hair, pretending that she was still in control as she guided her head down. Courtney slipped her fingers underneath the lacy underwear, dragging them down slowly over her thighs. 

“You are so fucking hot,” Courtney said, warm breath making Bianca shiver. 

She raised her knees, allowing Courtney to pull the panties off, abdomen tight with excitement as she settled in between her legs, fingers dancing up her thighs. 

“Yeah?” 

“Mmmhmm…” Courtney bent down and placed a light kiss against her, just below her belly button. 

“Courtney-” 

“Yees?” Courtney drew out the word, nuzzling a cheek against the tenderest spot of her inner thigh. 

Bianca gulped. 

“Am I doing something wrong?” Courtney asked, suddenly looking a bit insecure about the whole endeavor. “Do you want me to stop?” 

“No, I just...I don’t want you to feel like you have to.” 

“I want to. Really,” Courtney insisted. “I’m dead sure.” 

Bianca chuckled softly, finally letting her body relax completely. It felt strange, the surrender, but also like exactly what she needed. 

***

Later that night, folded in Bianca’s arms, playing with her fingers, Courtney found her mind wandering, the pesky insecurities that she’d been pushing aside all day rearing their ugly heads. Thoughts she’d never had before with anyone she’d been with, like _where is this going_ and _does she like me the way I like her_ and _how do I measure up_. 

“B...can I ask you something?” 

“Sure.” Bianca nuzzled into the back of her head. 

“How many girlfriends have you had?” 

Bianca laughed. 

“I’m serious!” Courtney squeezed her hand. 

“Well…I haven’t exactly had any...formal arrangements,” Bianca finally said. 

“Oh.” 

“You know, I just never had much use for the word ‘girlfriend.’” 

Courtney turned around to face her, cheeks warm and a little flushed as she asked, “Do you think you would ever...want one?” 

A grin spread across Bianca’s face and she asked, “Why, you wanna be my girlfriend?” 

She looked adorable, but Courtney couldn’t tell if the expression on her face was because she was teasing, or because she was actually into the idea. 

“Do you want to be _my_ girlfriend?” Courtney countered, heart racing. 

“I asked you first.” 

Courtney swallowed. She knew that she was being silly. This conversation probably should have waited a bit. But biding her time was never Courtney’s strength. She was more the “shut your eyes and leap” type. 

“Well…I know it’s probably too soon to label it. I just wanted to know what you think about...us. Eventually.” She bit her lip, cheeks now burning with embarrassment. 

“Okay, and I asked you what you wanted.” Bianca’s dimples deepened, and Courtney couldn’t help touching them. 

“I don’t want to pressure you,” Courtney said. Her voice felt small and stupid and she squeezed her eyes shut. 

“I don’t feel pressured,” Bianca said, pulling her closer. “And you still haven’t answered. Do you want to be my girlfriend?” 

“Yes,” Courtney admitted, face pressed to Bianca’s shoulder, her words muffled. 

Bianca cupped her chin and pressed a sweet kiss to her lips. 

“Good.” 

“You don’t think it’s too soon?” Courtney searched her dark eyes. 

“It’s a little soon. But...you’re a lot hot. So...” 

Courtney laughed, feeling her whole body melting against Bianca with a relieved sigh. This was all she wanted, this closeness. To know that Bianca wanted her, that they were on the same page. It was never like this with boys; any boyfriend she’d ever had had been a fleeting whim, some guy who chased her until she finally said yes, and then quickly grew bored of once the novelty wore off. With Bianca, she found herself, maybe for the first time, subject to a kind of uncontrolled, soul-crushing _desire_. The whole ordeal was incredibly embarrassing, not to mention an emotional rollercoaster. 

“Are you happy?” Bianca whispered against her mouth. 

“Uh huh...now I know what to call you when I tell my mum.” 

Bianca lifted one eyebrow. “What exactly are you planning to tell her?” 

“Everything! We’re very close,” Courtney said. 

“Everything?!” 

“Well, no, not _everything_.” Courtney buried her face back into Bianca’s neck with a giggle, and Bianca wrapped her up into a hug.

“Perfect.” 

***

Courtney had plenty of choice opinions about the United States, but one thing she would never complain about was how big and elaborate American Halloween celebrations were. She loved all of it, but especially the costumes, getting to live a fantasy for a night. 

And this year, she’d convinced Bianca to do a couples costume, something she’d always wanted to do. (She was a little surprised, and a lot grateful, at how easily Bianca went along with it.) After a trip to both a Halloween shop and a high end vintage store, they’d settled on Bonnie and Clyde, Bianca pulling her sewing machine out from under the bed in order to perfect the tailoring and make sure all the details were accurate, really getting into the spirit. 

Courtney loved her costume--a form-fitting sweater, pencil skirt, and jaunty little beret. But she loved Bianca’s Clyde costume even more. She’d never in her life seen anything as sexy as Bianca in high-waisted pin-stripe pants, suspenders and a fedora, coat slung casually over her shoulders. 

She sat at the desk chair, gazing lovingly up at Bianca in her suit as she bobby-pinned her beret securely in place, and it was all she could do to keep from drooling. Alaska stood in front of her makeup mirror, putting the finishing touches on her Morticia Addams look. 

Willam opened the door to announce that she was ready to go, and immediately rolled her eyes. “Goddamn, this is some gay shit.” 

“I know, aren’t we cute?” Courtney replied, shrugging benignly. 

“Sure,” Willam said, as if she was one to judge, standing there in her sluttiest dress and pair of 6-inch heels. 

“What are you supposed to be, anyway?” Courtney asked her, one eyebrow raised.

“A person who’s gonna get laid tonight,” Willam answered, as if it was obvious. She turned her attention to Bianca. “And you…you look…” 

“What?” Bianca bristled, clearly ready for an insult, crossing her arms. 

“Kinda hot?” Willam finished. 

“That’s what I said!” Alaska exclaimed from across the room. 

Bianca opened her mouth, about to toss out a sarcastic reply, when Courtney snaked her arms around her waist, pulling her into her lap. 

“Totally hot,” she whispered. 

“Ugh, you just ruined it,” Willam said, flouncing out of the room. 

There was something especially thrilling for Courtney about being back at Sierra’s, _with_ Bianca for real this time, everyone in the club knowing that they belonged together. She hung on to her arm, only half-listening to the conversation her roommates had struck up with Raja and Manila, mostly just gazing at Bianca with heart eyes and thinking about how sexy she looked in her suit. And making a plan of attack for exactly how she was gonna rip it off later. She already knew that some kind of special underwear was involved--she’d seen the bag that morning, emblazoned with the logo from a vintage shop downtown, but Bianca had stopped her before she’d had a chance to peek, telling her that it was a surprise. 

She looked back at Manila, who was finishing a story, saying, “...but she _really_ needed those chips, I guess it was worth it!” 

The rest of the group burst out laughing, Raja covering her face with her hand as Manila leaned in to kiss her cheek, and Courtney realized that she had no goddamn clue what they were talking about. But no matter. Her eyes wandered around the crowded club, spotting a welcome sight on stage--Adore and her band setting up. She squealed happily, squeezing Bianca’s hand. 

“Omigod, that’s Adore!”

“Great, my favorite person,” came Bianca’s sarcastic reply, and Courtney laughed. After all, everything had worked out, so why would she be holding a grudge? 

“She’s cool. You don’t like her?” Raja asked, head tilted curiously.

“Well…”

“We should go say hi,” Courtney said.

“Pass.” 

“Come on,” Courtney cajoled, wrapping her hands around Bianca’s arm. “Don’t you think we should thank her?” 

“Thank her for _what_?” 

“For being cool, and kind, and helping us actually admit our feelings?” Courtney raised her eyebrows. 

“Please,” Bianca scoffed. 

“Fine, don’t come, but I’m gonna go say hi,” Courtney told her, and turned towards the stage. 

Bianca grabbed her sleeve, sternly saying, “No, you’re fuckin’ _not_.” 

Alaska gasped slightly, eyebrows shooting up, and Willam lifted her drink to muffle her incredulous laughter. Even Raja and Manila looked scandalized, eyes wide as they watched the drama unfold. 

“Ohhh shit,” Manila whispered, fingers digging into Raja’s arm.

Courtney turned back to Bianca slowly. Normally, she didn’t mind her girlfriend’s overbearing, Type-A bossiness. In fact, she found it cute. But this was over the line, and everyone else seemed to agree. Just because Courtney was easygoing did not mean that she was a pushover, and if Bianca thought she could order her around, or forbid her from talking to someone, she had another think coming. 

There was a heated moment as Courtney stared Bianca down, no one saying anything. Courtney could feel Bianca’s grip loosening, see her hard expression faltering as her cheeks grew red. 

“I mean...uh...just kidding?” Bianca finally stammered out, letting go completely, forcing a guilty smile. 

“Good one,” Courtney said simply, turning and heading to the stage without a second glance. She smiled to herself when she heard Bianca’s footsteps behind her, catching up. 

“You know, maybe...” Bianca said, clearing her throat, “maybe we should both say hi.” 

“Right.” Courtney slipped her hand into Bianca’s to show her that all was forgiven, feeling rather victorious as she bounded over to Adore, waving up at her. “Adore! Hey! Happy Halloween!”

“Heyyy!” Adore cried back. “Omigod, you look so fuckin’ cute!” 

“Thank you. You do too!” 

Adore was dressed as what appeared to be a goth zombie cat. She pawed the air with one fishnet-clad hand and said, “Meow.” 

Courtney giggled, adding, “I didn’t realize you guys were performing tonight, I’m so psyched to see you again!” 

“Aww, thanks! I’m glad things worked out with you guys, you-” She paused then, doing a double-take, looking Bianca up and down, finishing with a simple, “Damn.” 

Courtney giggled again, wrapping her hands around Bianca’s arm, proud to be with her and happy that she was getting exactly the reaction she deserved to that costume. Even cuter was how all the attention seemed to catch her off-guard, clearing her throat and shifting around, the faintest blush coloring her cheeks. 

“Um...We wanted to say thanks, for looking out for Courtney when I was, uh-” 

“Being a fucking idiot?” Adore supplied. 

“Yeah.” 

“It was my pleasure,” Adore said, smiling sweetly. She gave both of them another once-over, then asked, “So...what are you guys doin’ after the party?” 

Bianca’s spine stiffened and Courtney laughed, telling her, “Relax, she’s kidding.” 

“I’m totally kidding,” Adore said, then after a beat shook her head and caught Courtney’s eye, mouthing, _‘I’m not kidding.’_

Courtney giggled some more, enjoying the attention from Adore just as much last time. 

“Is that Alaska calling us?” Bianca asked, tugging slightly on Courtney’s arm. 

“No? Adore, I wanted to ask you if you-” 

“Coming, Alaska!” Bianca called loudly to no one, pulling Courtney away. 

Nobody believed Bianca for a second, but at least she’d made a small effort. It was better than nothing. 

“Bye, Adore! Break a leg!” Courtney tossed one last glance at Adore, giving her a half eye-roll, receiving a flirty wink in return. 

“Byeee!” 

After some wheedling and pouting, Courtney convinced Bianca to dance, and now she got to feel her up on the dance floor, the thought of jealous eyes on them making Courtney’s heart hammer in her chest. 

“Are you having a good time?” Bianca asked, as Courtney fingered her suspenders. 

“Mmhmm...are you?” 

“Yeah. But you know what would be better?” Bianca murmured. 

“What?”

“If all the rest of these people were...somewhere else.” 

Courtney shivered slightly, Bianca’s eyes on her doing all kinds of things to her. She gazed up at her, feeling like the luckiest girl alive to be getting undivided attention from someone so perfect, so beautiful. 

“What people?” Courtney finally asked, eyes falling closed as Bianca’s lips found her neck, letting the world fall away, music and lights and bodies around them blurring into an indistinguishable swirl of energy. The only thing that mattered was Bianca, and her hands, and her lips, the frantic pulse of their heartbeats in sync. 

“Let’s get out of here.” 

***

As well as they knew each other before hooking up, there was still a lot that surprised Bianca about Courtney. New little quirks and qualities she was constantly learning about. But maybe the most welcome surprise was her voracious sexual appetite, how her constant hunger made Bianca feel more desirable than she ever had before. 

Tonight was no exception, as Courtney pulled off her costume in a desperate rush, eyes taking her in. She’d selected a cream and powder-blue vintage lingerie set, decorated with almost demure eyelet around the edges, a sharp contrast to her tailored costume. Courtney kneeled over her, looking hungry and wild-eyed, like she wanted to swallow her whole. 

“You like?” Bianca asked softly, and instead of words, the answer she got was a pained whimper, Courtney capturing her lips in a kiss that left her breathless and reeling. 

“Do you know how sexy you are, B?” Courtney whispered, hands wandering over her body. She seemed to be working hard to slow her own breathing, chest heaving slowly. 

“Look who’s talking,” Bianca said. She pushed Courtney’s blouse off her shoulders, revealing her own dark burgundy lipstick mark from earlier, and then unzipped her skirt with shaky fingers. And fuck, she was wearing Bianca’s own underwear, a lacy red pair, and it was so hot Bianca could barely hold it together. “Shit.” 

Courtney smiled down at her and began to slowly undress her, pressing kisses to every inch of bared skin. Bianca threaded a hand into her hair, the other gripping a handful of sheets. 

“Don’t forget to-”

“Relax,” Courtney said with a smirk. “I know what you like.”

 _Fuck._ Tingles rippled through Bianca’s body, and it was a few long moments before she could gather her wits, raising herself up on her elbow and forcing out a sarcastic reply. “Excuse me, ma’am, it’s been three weeks, how are you this cocky?”

Courtney grinned adorably, turning her lips towards Bianca’s thigh, sucking gently at first, then harder, bringing a faint mark to the surface of her skin. When Bianca tightened a hand in her hair, pressing her head down, Courtney actually looked up at her and _laughed._

“Nice try.” 

“Fuck…” Bianca huffed out a sigh, falling backwards. She watched Courtney through heavy-lidded eyes as she continued to tease her, peppering her thighs with kisses soft as butterfly wings. 

And then, she proceeded at the most infuriatingly leisurely pace--treating her body like an endless buffet spread out before her, making sure to taste everything before going back for more. Bianca’s chest heaved, choking back her whimpers so as not to reveal how well it was working. 

It was her own damn fault. Bianca knew that. Of course, everything she’d said about going slow was to blame for the current torture that she was suffering through. She just didn’t anticipate Courtney catching on so quickly, besting her at her own game so completely. 

Holding back wasn’t possible anymore, and she let out a moan, body arching into Courtney’s hot mouth, grinding against her tongue, unraveling completely in her arms. Soon she was gasping, slick with sweat, and still Courtney didn’t let up, sucking kisses up her stomach, fingers sliding easily inside her as a mouth closed around her nipple. 

“Fuck, _fuck_ …” Tears collected in Bianca’s eyes as she came once again, blonde hair clutched in her hands. She was so far gone that she barely noticed Courtney’s lips traveling up her collarbone, didn’t comprehend what she whispered into her ear. “...What?” 

“I said,” Courtney repeated, punctuating her statement with a soft kiss on her pulse point, “Thank you for being such a good girl for me.” 

The only response Bianca managed was a breathy sigh, then a sharp gasp as Courtney eased her fingers out. She put them into her own mouth first, then gave Bianca a naughty look, sliding two fingers past her parted lips. 

“Taste how fucking delicious you are…” 

Bianca obeyed, shivering with pleasure. 

“There you go…” Courtney cooed, before adding again, “ _Such_ a good girl.” 

“Are you patronizing me?” Bianca asked groggily, turning her face towards Courtney, eyes struggling to stay open. 

“Yes...do you like it?” 

The truth was, Bianca liked all of it. She liked how easy it was for them to switch roles, how Courtney kept her on her toes. 

She liked the late-night cuddling and the stupid couple’s costume and bringing a huge bouquet of pink roses to Courtney’s first _Cabaret_ performance. She liked how easy it was to put a smile on her face, to make her laugh, how they constantly found new things to bicker about. She liked standing in the grocery check-out with fingers laced together, cooking dinner side by side, and the comfortable weight of a head on her shoulder while they curled up for movie night. 

She liked Courtney’s dry sense of humor and her infectious enthusiasm, her surprising self-assuredness. She liked her softness and her sense of whimsy, how they always had fun together no matter what they were doing. She liked how much Courtney cared about things, how she’d get indignantly angry at litter and engage in heated political debates in the middle of house parties. 

Most of all, she liked _Courtney._

One evening, while standing at the stove, she glanced up to see Courtney chopping vegetables for their salad, making that cute, dumb face where her tongue poked slightly out of the side of her mouth, and she was struck with a new thought. A warm feeling bloomed in her chest as Courtney put a piece of red pepper into her mouth. 

“Hey…” 

Courtney looked up questioningly, the pepper dangling from her lips like a cigarette, and Bianca knew that she needed to blurt it out before she lost her nerve. 

“I love you, you know.” 

Green eyes went wide, and there was a split second of nausea, Bianca not knowing what to expect. And then before she had a chance to blink, Courtney had closed the distance between then, sweeping her up into her arms. The kiss that followed sucked all the air out of her lungs, made her dizzy to the point where she had to grapple for the counter to stay upright. 

“I love you too, B, I love you so much…” Courtney murmured against her mouth, immediately going in for another urgent kiss. Hands slid up to cradle her face, thumbs stroking her cheekbones. 

“Yeah?” she panted. 

“So, so fucking much.” 

Bianca wrapped her arms tighter around Courtney’s waist. 

“Well thank fuck for that.”

***

Courtney wouldn’t lie: her grades had suffered this semester. There was a good month where her head was entirely in the clouds, so wrapped up in the honeymoon bliss of her new relationship that she avoided any and all responsibilities, procrastinating and putting things off, until so much work had piled up that catching up felt like a daunting task. 

But catch up she did, working her ass off during much of November. Between her classes, the play, and Bianca, she barely had a moment to stop and look around. Maybe that’s why she missed all the signs. 

Or, maybe they were just real good at sneaking around. 

Either way, it came as an absolute shock when she found out about Willam and Alaska. At least, at first it was a shock. But an even bigger shock was the way Willam blushed and stammered when Courtney interrogated her. They’d known each other for over two years, and Courtney had never seen her so self conscious. It was actually rather adorable. 

The more she thought about it, though, the more obvious it seemed. They’d had a special bond from the beginning, a kind of affectionate camaraderie that must have made them perfectly compatible. And when she reported the news to Bianca, her girlfriend seemed to agree: it just kind of made sense, didn’t it? 

Formally, officially switching rooms also made sense. They set aside Saturday to do it, but it ended up taking less than an hour, since so many of their things had already migrated. Looked like they’d be able to make it to brunch earlier than they planned. 

“Do you want to push the beds together?” Courtney asked, stripping off her yoga pants and t-shirt to look through her closet for something to wear. She’d seen Willam and Alaska doing just that with the beds, and thought it was probably a good idea. They’d certainly have a lot more space. 

“Nah…” Bianca wrapped her arms around Courtney’s waist from behind, pulling her onto her own bed and wrestling her onto her back. “I kinda like being stuffed into a twin bed, it gives me an excuse to snuggle you.” 

Courtney giggled, surrendering fully to the attack. She reached up to touch Bianca’s cheek. 

“Nobody would ever believe how snuggly you are.” 

“Nope,” Bianca told her solemnly. “And don’t tell. It would completely destroy my boss-ass bitch reputation.” 

“Hmm...but isn’t the true boss the person who can admit how much they like snuggling?” Courtney raised an eyebrow, challenging her. 

“Don’t try those backwards logic mind tricks on me, missy.” Bianca tickled her ribs until she was laughing so hard she gasped for air. 

“Okay, okay…I give up!” 

Bianca grinned, dimples deep in her cheeks, and lay down beside her, a head on her shoulder, nose tucked against her neck. It was a perfect, lovely moment. Except...Courtney let out a deep sigh. 

“What’s wrong?” Bianca asked, taking her hand and placing a kiss inside her wrist. 

“Why do you think something’s wrong?” Courtney asked. 

“Because I know you, and that wasn’t a happy sigh. So...tell me what’s wrong.” 

“Well…” Courtney hesitated, not really wanting to share her current, embarrassing thoughts. “It’s kind of dumb.” 

“I mean, most of what you say is pretty dumb, so…” 

Courtney chuckled weakly, and Bianca lifted her head. 

“That was a joke.” 

“I know. I’m sorry, I-”

Bianca brushed a light kiss against her lips, so gentle, and then Courtney couldn’t stop the tears that began trickling down her cheeks. She sat up, hiding her face in her hands. 

“Babydoll...please tell me what’s going on.” 

“It’s so stupid,” Courtney said, still covering her face, feeling silly and childish. “I just...I’m gonna miss you next week, when you go home.” 

“For Thanksgiving?” 

“Yeah.” 

“I’m only going for 4 days,” Bianca reminded her, nuzzling her cheeks. 

“I know! I told you it was stupid,” Courtney laughed, letting Bianca kiss away the tears. “I feel like a fucking idiot.” 

“You’re not an idiot. You’re sweet.” 

“I think I must be getting my period,” Courtney said, shaking her head. How could she be getting this upset over a long weekend apart? Since when had she become such a co-dependent, emotional nightmare? “I’m sorry.” 

Bianca cocked her head to the side, and for a few moments, Courtney couldn’t bear to meet her gaze. When she finally did, expecting to see a judgmental grin, or that signature smirk, both of which she would fully deserve, she was surprised to instead find warm brown eyes, soft with compassion. 

“You should come with me,” Bianca said. 

“What? Be serious.” 

“I am serious.” Bianca sat up, reaching for her laptop. “It’ll be fun! I think you’d like New Orleans, and as it’s bound to be nicer than whatever sad little event the International Student Center is planning.” 

Courtney rubbed her eyes. “Bianca, you can’t possibly be-” 

“Look, there’s still seats left on my flights,” Bianca said. “It’s a shitty connection, but it’s cheap. So...wanna come?” 

“You really mean it?” Courtney whispered. 

“Definitely. It’ll make the weekend ten times better to have you there.” 

“And your mum won’t mind?” 

“She’s got 5 kids and 6 grandkids, you think she’ll notice one extra person?” Bianca asked. 

“That’s true...I assume I’ll blend right in.” 

Bianca let out a cackle, shaking her head. “Perfectly. Does that mean yes?” 

The smile on Courtney’s face was making her cheeks hurt. She crawled over to Bianca, throwing her arms around her neck.

“Yes. Definitely yes.” Courtney smiled, tears finally drying on her cheeks, leaning a head on Bianca’s shoulders as she purchased the tickets. She fingered the zipper on Bianca’s sweatshirt and asked, “Do you think your family will like me?” 

“They’ll love you.” 

“Because _you_ love me?” she asked, batting her lashes. 

“No, they could give half a shit about my opinions. They’ll love you because you’re infuriatingly lovable. It’s one of your most annoying qualities.”

Courtney giggled, pressing a series of kisses to Bianca’s face. “I love you too, B.” 

“Done,” Bianca said, setting the computer aside and turning towards Coutney with a grin. “Are you happy?” 

“So happy,” Courtney whispered, capturing her lips in a sweet, soft kiss. 

“Good.” Bianca rested her forehead against Courtney’s, dimples deep in her cheeks. 

“So...are you excited to fuck me in your childhood bed?” Courtney asked, and Bianca burst out laughing, flipping her onto her back. 

“You filthy bitch…” Bianca growled in her ear. 

“Does that mean yes?” Courtney asked, lashes fluttering. 

“Hell yeah.” Bianca began to trail kisses down her jaw, and Courtney sighed happily, feeling like a giant weight had been lifted from her shoulders. 

Bianca had already said that she loved her, but a piece of her had been stressing, privately: what did Bianca mean by that? Did she love her the way Courtney loved Bianca? Now, she felt like she could finally bask in the blissful knowledge that they really were on the same page. Courtney raked her nails up Bianca’s back, under her sweatshirt, eyes falling closed as Bianca’s lips moved to her neck, fingers slipping under her bralette. 

“Hey, bitches, are we doing brunch or what?” Willam banged open the door. “Oh my god, can you ever just _stop_?”

“Yeah, soz. We got distracted,” Courtney said with a grin, still laying down, making a very halfhearted attempt to cover her chest. 

“Clearly.” 

“Well...oops,” she laughed, then furrowed her brow in confusion. “Bill, what are you wearing? It’s November.” 

“Yeah, in California,” Willam said, slipping on a pair of sunglasses. She was dressed in a floaty little sundress with spaghetti straps and a pair of platform sandals. 

“You’re gonna freeze!” 

“If she wants to freeze, let her freeze,” Bianca said, then added, “Give us like 20 minutes to get ready.” 

“You can have 15! I want a mimosa, goddammit!” Willam barked, shutting the door. 

“Joke’s on her,” Bianca murmured, lips grazing Courtney’s pulse point. “‘Cause I only need 5.”

***

“Hmmm...I don’t know what I want,” Courtney said, looking over the drink menu. It was such a beautiful day with such great company that she’d forgotten to look until the server, a harried looking girl called Michelle, appeared at their table. 

“Bitch, just pick something!” said Willam. “Some of us want to start day drinking while it’s still daytime.” 

“I’m sorry!” Courtney laughed. “It’s just that today is so special, and-” 

“Ugh,” Willam groaned, and Alaska hushed her gently with a hand on her thigh. 

“-And I need something appropriately celebratory. Not a boring old mimosa. Although...I mean I do like champagne…” 

Bianca reached over and lowered her menu, telling the server to, “Just bring her a bellini.” 

“What’s a bellini?” 

“You’ll love it,” Bianca promised. “It’s peach juice and prosecco. Sweet and bubbly.” 

“Just like you, Court,” Alaska added with a grin. 

Despite the sneaking suspicion that she was being mocked, Courtney looked up at Michelle and nodded. “That sounds perfect.”

She nodded, giving a quick salute and then scampering back inside. 

Courtney scanned through the menu again, determined not to make them all wait for her when it was time to order food. She quickly made a decision and then closed the menu, looking around at her friends with a happy sigh. 

In spite of the chilly Autumn breeze, the sun was bright in the sky, warming them gently. It was so nice to be together like this, finally, as couples. She tilted her head, realizing that Alaska’s turquoise pleather motorcycle jacket was very familiar. 

“Alaska, I love your jacket.” Courtney took a delicate sip of her water. 

“It’s Will’s,” Alaska said.

Courtney rested her chin in her hand, gazing at Alaska and Willam with heart eyes, unable to hide her grin. 

“I know! It’s sooo cuuuute...” 

“Calm your farm,” Willam said, pointing a fork at her. 

“That’s so Aussie!” Alaska giggled, leaning over to press a quick kiss to Willam’s cheek. And to Courtney’s absolute delight, a pink flush crept into her face. 

She turned to Bianca, lashes fluttering, wrapping her hands around her arm. 

“Should we share clothes, too?” 

“Oh yeah. I really want to wear your hipster Coachella shit,” Bianca said, gesturing to Courtney’s palazzo pants and crop top covered in pink pineapples. 

“You’d look adorable as.” 

“That’s so Aussie,” Willam cut in as she sucked on an ice cube. 

“Come on, imagine how good your ass would look in these pants,” Courtney said. 

“Yeah, no thanks.” 

Courtney bumped her shoulder lightly, lips turning down in an exaggerated pout. “I’m serious!”

“Okay, well, you can borrow my sweater if you want?” Bianca finally offered. 

“Perfect,” Courtney laughed. She laid a head on Bianca’s shoulder, shifting her gaze back towards Willam and Alaska, who were engaged in what they probably thought was a very sly game of footsie. 

The best part was Willam’s face--the almost shy expression on her face every time Alaska touched her. In the more than two years that Courtney had known Willam, all she’d ever heard was talk about sex in the crudest possible terms--nothing whatsoever about romance. Now, seeing her sneaking peeks at Alaska from behind her menu, cheeks flushed, Courtney couldn’t help but watch her happily, a dreaming smile tugging at her lips. 

After awhile, Willam finally caught on to being watched, looking up to catch Courtney’s eye. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I just...like seeing your soft squishy parts,” Courtney said.

Willam clutched her chest in mock offense. “Are you calling me fat, you dumb slut?” 

“Yeah,” Courtney laughed, blowing a kiss across the table. 

Willam scoffed, burying her face back into her menu, attention now completely focused on Alaska. 

“Do you know what you want this time?” Bianca asked, kissing the top of her head. 

“Yes, why?”

Bianca gestured to Michelle approaching the table, then spoke up. “Hi, I’ll have the French toast combo with scrambled eggs and fruit?” 

“Sure thing.” She turned to Courtney. 

“Can I get the kale salad with extra avocado?” Courtney asked. “And, uh…” 

“You want fries, don’t you?” Bianca asked with a wry grin. 

“For the table!” Courtney said, giving Bianca her best puppy eyes. 

“Yeah, right,” Bianca laughed, then said to Michelle, “And an order of sweet potato fries.” 

As they handed over their menus, it became clear that Alaska and Willam had no idea what was going on, still hidden behind their menus, giggling. Bianca cleared her throat loudly. 

"Uh, if you two are done playing footsie, would you mind telling poor Michelle what you want to eat?"

Alaska’s head snapped up, eyes wide with surprise, a guilty expression as she locked eyes with Michelle, tapping a pen against her little notepad. 

"Sorry," Alaska said, blushing slightly and handing over her menu. “Huevos rancheros, please.” 

“And for you?” Michelle asked Willam. 

“Uhh...a garden salad and shrimp and grits. But no grits.”

“So...just shrimp?” Michelle asked slowly. 

“Yes.” Willam said. 

“Alllright. I’ll go grab your drinks.” Michelle turned and left, heading back inside. 

“You know, the south would never allow that ‘no grits’ business,” said Bianca, disapproval all over her face. 

Courtney smiled to herself, reminding her girlfriend that, “I feel like the south probably isn’t too keen on a lot of things we do.” 

“Fair,” Bianca laughed, dimples deep in her cheeks.

When the drinks came, Willam immediately downed her mimosa as expected. Bianca, on the other hand, began to season her Bloody Mary with extreme concentration. First, she squeezed in the lemon, then added a healthy amount of pepper and quite a bit of hot sauce, tasting it carefully every time she added anything. 

It wasn’t until Courtney covered her mouth to muffle her giggles that Bianca caught on that she was being watched. 

“What?” 

“Nothing. You’re just cute.” 

Bianca narrowed her eyes, and for a second, Courtney thought that maybe she was annoyed. But then her dimples appeared as she replied, “You’re cute.” 

Courtney climbed into her lap, loving the feeling of Bianca’s arms securely around her waist. She leaned forward and kissed her lightly. Their drinks now forgotten, Bianca kissed her back, lips moving to her neck and then slowly up her jawline. Courtney sighed happily, in no hurry to go back to her drink, perfectly content to just bask in the moment as Bianca nuzzled her cheek. 

“Alright, this is getting embarrassing,” Bianca finally said, picking up her Bloody Mary, brown eyes sparkling. 

Courtney grinned and kissed her neck one more time, taking a moment to inhale the sweet, fresh scent of her perfume before picking up her own drink, fingers pinching the stem of her glass delicately. 

Bianca tapped Alaska on the wrist. 

“You know, you’re a really good person,” she said. 

“Oh?” Alaska cocked her head, bracing for the punchline. 

“I mean, adopting a stray.” Bianca gestured to Willam. “Most people would be worried about diseases and shit, but you...you’ve got a good soul. Bless your heart.” 

Alaska crossed her arms, leaning forward with a challenging grin. “So if she’s a stray, what are you?” 

“Oh, I was raised by wolves,” Bianca admitted, and she and Alaska both cackled gleefully. 

Courtney watched them, cheeks hurting now from the permanent smile on her face, turning her attention to Willam to beam at her once again. 

"Ugh." Willam met Courtney’s eyes, shaking her head. "I know that look."

"What look-" Courtney gasped. 

"You're gonna give a speech or-"

"No!"

"-make a sappy little toast aren't you?"

Courtney scoffed before smiling mischievously. “Well…” 

"Knew it."

Courtney stuck her tongue out at Willam, then said, “It’s not really a toast. I just wanted to say…” She grinned at Alaska, then back at Willam. “I'm really happy we got to spend this semester together. And next, too. I can't imagine finding better friends, or roommates, than you guys."

"Gross," Willam said, suppressing her smile as she took a sip of her mimosa. 

"I think it was sweet, Court," Alaska said, not making the slightest attempt to hide her own dazzling smile as she looked right at Courtney, holding out her glass. "I'm glad we get to spend this year together, too." 

Courtney reached across the table to clink glasses, then leaned back, snuggling into Bianca’s arms. 

“Hey,” Bianca whispered softly into her ear, “What do you say we ditch the other whores and go make out in the car?” 

Courtney burst into giggles, twisting around to press a kiss to Bianca’s lips. 

“Well, if you guys are determined to be sappy bastards, then at least we should get a good pic,” Willam said with a resigned sigh. 

“Yay!” Courtney clapped, jumping up and pulling Bianca into her own seat beside Willam, already striking a pose. 

"For Instagram?" asked Alaska. 

"Of course," Willam said. She held up her phone, Courtney and Bianca leaning into the frame, Courtney making her best supermodel faces, giving all kinds of angles. 

"What's the tag gonna be?" Bianca asked, cracking up as she caught Courtney’s eye in the camera screen, kissing her cheek. 

“CouplesGoals,” Willam announced, her smile deepening as everyone burst out laughing. 

The final photo was a bit of a mess: Alaska’s head on Willam’s shoulder, her eyes half closed, mid-laugh; Willam with a smug smile, arm around Alaska, pulling her close; Courtney’s head thrown back in glee; Bianca’s grin in profile, face buried in Courtney’s neck. 

It wasn’t the best photo, or best angle for any of them. But for once, Willam didn’t demand a retake. And a few weeks later, when Courtney framed it, she didn’t care about any of the imperfections: only that it captured a moment of pure joy with some of her favorite people. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all, folks!! Thanks for coming with us on this ride. If you haven't read the Willaska companion story, [click here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27100924/chapters/66175873) to find it. XOXOXO


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